Just Another Year
by CrystalWillow
Summary: Rachel Roth is a sophomore in high school, making friends, doing homework, hanging out. But she has a dark secret that she hopes her new friends won't find out. And will they get the lower classman play ready for opening night? WARNING: abuse and some lan
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I DON'T own anything. Wish I did, but I don't. Pity really.

Ok, this is another run of the mill AU, Teen Titans regular school kids with no powers trying to survive the veritable hell that is High School. Um, I just fell in love with the concept and decided to try my hand at it. I hope I do it justice.

Uh, this is mostly from Rachel's point if view, though I might occasionally slip into other's points if view, but only if absolutely necessary, and not very often or for long. This will eventually be a ReaxBB (only RachelxGar) and StarxRob (KorixDick) fic, centering on ReaBB. Umm, I really like JinxxKF pairings, and like CyxBee, but let me know who you want Cy (Vic) to be with. It can even be an OC if you tell me about them thoroughly enough (I am NOT having another Darth Vader incident I tell you! It will NOT happen!)

So, on with it! Enjoy!

* * *

Rachel Roth slammed the snooze button on her alarm clock, trying to remember why she set it in the first place. Nine minutes later the alarm sounded and she turned the volume down to listen to the radio.

"Good morning, Jump City! Rise and shine, it's a beautiful day! And that means you too, kids! That's right, mothers every where, rejoice (1)! It's the first day of school here in Jump City! So lets start the morning off right with this song from…"

'Damn.' Rachel thought. The first day of school. Still, it had to be better than being home. She threw her covers to the foot of her bed and dragged her self out. She took a quick shower and got dressed in jeans and a gray tee shirt. She ran a brush through her black hair and took a blow dryer to it. As she brushed her teeth, she looked critically at her bruises and the small cut on her lip, the result of her father's anger. She covered the bruises on her face, hands and lower arms with make up and deemed the small cut to be small enough to ignore. She went to her room put on her black hooded sweatshirt and her socks and shoes.

She crept down the stairs as silently as possible, peeked into the living room and found her father passed out in the couch, beer cans and Jack bottles surrounded him and littered the floor. She slipped into the kitchen, popped some bread in the toaster and made a small lunch while it toasted. After the toast popped, she grabbed it, and went out the back door.

* * *

She walked up to the bus stop and waited for the bus to get there. She glanced at the others waiting for the bus with her. They were all excited about a new year, talking about what classes and what teachers they had, who they were looking forward to seeing and what rumors they had heard over the summer. She rolled her eyes and stood in silence.

As the bus rolled up, the waiting students formed a line of sorts. Rachel was about to step on when a girl with long black hair barged in front of her.

"Watch it! I'm walking here!" the girl called.

"Well _sorry_!" Rachel said sarcastically.

"Many apologies." a girl with equally long red hair and green eyes said, "My sister can be a glemplork at times (2)." The girl was a good deal taller than Rachel and her hair ran halfway down her back. She was slim, but athletic.

"Forget it." Rachel said as she boarded the bus though she had no idea what a glemplork was.

She found an empty seat at the back of the bus, sat down and took a book that she was reading out of her book bag. She was about to open it when she realized that the red headed girl was looking at her.

"What?"

"May I sit with you?" she asked.

"What ever." Rachel said as she scooted closer to the window.

"Thank you very much." the girl said, "My name is Kori Anders. What is your name?"

"Why do you care?" Rachel asked.

"I wish to know the name of my new friend." Kori said simply.

"Your new friend?" Rachel asked, "You want to be my friend?"

"Yes. Very much." Kori replied.

"Why?" Rachel questioned, immediately suspicious that this was some prank (3).

"I am new here and have no friends yet." Kori simply said.

"But why do you want to be _my_ friend? You can do better." Rachel said as she turned to her book.

"I do not wish to do better." Kori said sincerely.

Rachel looked into Kori's eyes, searching for some evidence of a lie. But she found none. This Kori really wanted to be her friend. "Rachel." she said, "Roth."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, new friend Rachel!" Kori said.

"Yeah, sure." Rachel said, "You too."

* * *

Rachel was at her locker getting her book for her next class when her locker door shut.

"Hello, Rachel." a sickeningly sweet voice said.

"Malchoir." she said by way of greeting. She reopened her locker and finished getting her stuff.

"What? Not going say 'hi'?" he asked her.

"No." she said.

"Well how about a kiss?" he asked.

"No. Now go away." she said, venom in every word.

"Not until I get my kiss." he stated.

"Well then you're gonna be hanging around by locker for a while because you're not going to get one." she said.

He pinned her against the lockers, "Well then so are you." he said.

"Hey!" a voice called, "She said to leave her alone."

Rachel looked over and saw boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked to be a little taller than her and slightly on the scrawnier side of things.

"What are you going to do about it?" Malchoir asked him, moving away from Raven to confront him.

"Just forget about it." she said in a biting tone, using the time that Malchoir was focused on the boy to break free of his grip. She turned and started down the hall way.

"I'll see you later!" Malchoir called after her.

"Maybe in hell!" she yelled over her shoulder.

She walked along the hallway trying to get to class as quickly as possible to avoid all the people staring. She turned a corner into a nearly deserted hallway. She was about halfway down when she heard someone running behind her.

"Hey! Wait up!"

"Go away." she said, "I'm running late for class." she said. 'Lame excuse.' she thought.

"Well, where ya headed?" he asked.

"Biology."

"Cool! Me too! I'll walk with you." he exclaimed.

"Well, goody." she said, sarcasm dripping from her tongue.

"Well you don't have to sound so disappointed. What's your problem any way?"

"Look. Thanks for back there but I could have handled it on my own." she said, turning to face him.

"Oh, yeah. Sure you could have." he bit back, "What was I thinking trying to help? You didn't need any help. Nope."

She gave a huge sigh, "Look. Thanks for your help. Really."

"Sure." he said, lightening up instantly, "My names Gar by the way."

"Rachel." she said, thinking 'Two friends in as any hours, alert the press.'

They walked into the class. She instantly headed to the back of the class. He followed.

"Wanna be lab partners?" he asked.

She looked at him for a minute, studying his features, trying to read his features. "Sure." she said, "Why not?"

* * *

Kori found her at lunch that day. They had no more than sat down when Gar and another boy came up to their table.

"Hey Rea." Gar said.

"Don't call me 'Rea', Gar_field_." she said.

"_Sorry_, Ra_chel_." he apologized, "But can Vic and I sit with you?" he asked indicating the African-American boy next to him. Vic was tall, very built and bald. Rachel knew him to be the best defensive line backer on the football team, not that she cared about football or school spirit. He was also an all-star wrestler and the best shot-put thrower on the field team (4). He had "Future Olympian" written all over him, if the college scouts didn't get their way with him first, to be a junior and already have all the big schools looking your way had to be an ego booster. She gave a non-committal shrug. Kori, however, spoke up almost immediately.

"Greetings!" she said in her ever-so-lovely voice that Rachel couldn't help but give a slight cringe to, "My name is Kori. Tell me, what is yours?"

"Well, I'm Gar. And this is Vic." Gar said.

"Wonderful! I assume you have already met friend Rachel."

"Pleased to meet you." Vic said to Rachel.

"Same." she replied, barely looking up from her book.

"Rea-chel and me met in biology. Well, shortly before, but who's being technical." Gar said, taking his lunch out of his bag.

"Man, how can you eat that nasty stuff?" Vic asked Gar, indicating what looked like a glob of white _stuff_ to Rachel.

"With a clear conscience. No animals died to feed me." Gar retorted.

"Yeah, well, no testers died making sure that my food was fit for human consumption." Vic said.

"Nobody died eating tofu! It's healthier than what you're eating!"

"What ever. At least this is real food."

"This is made from soy beans. Soy beans are _real food_."

"_Sure_."

"Do you know that a study done on some of the bodies of the soldiers that died in World War II found that half, if not more, of them died from clogged arteries and related things from a diet to rich in fat from all the meat they ate?" Rachel asked, not looking up from her book. The others stared at her for a while.

"Ha! That proves that this is healthier than your food." Gar triumphed.

"Another study on people that ate a lot of tofu and other soy bean based products showed that they had increased intestinal problems from all the gas they got from eating the bean based product, much of which led to incontinence or extreme blockage or, in three cases, internal combustion." Rachel said (5).

"….."

" So Gar's gonna explode?" Vic asked.

"He might." Rachel replied, turning a page in her book.

"Dude! Who's side you on anyway?" Gar asked her.

"I'm on my side."

* * *

Following lunch, Rachel had Home Ec. She arrived in class to see her lunch group already there. 'Great.' she thought as she headed over to them.

"Friend Rachel! You are in this class of the Economics of the Home too?" Kori asked, excitedly clapping her hands.

"Obviously." Rachel replied.

"This is awesome!" Gar said.

"Yeah." Vic echoed his friends sentiments, their lunch fight forgotten.

A boy with black hair stuck up in spikes with too much gel came over. He wore a red shirt and sunglasses. He apparently knew Vic and Gar because he addressed them. "Hey, Vic. Gar."

"Hey, Dick." They greeted him. Kori was stuck dumb by him. She stared at him in such a way that, had it been a cartoon, Rachel was sure that her eyes would turn into hearts and float about. She gave a chuckle at her friend.

"Oh, Dick," Gar started, "this is Rachel. ("Hey.") And this is Kori."

"It is glorious to meet you." Kori said, finally overcoming her shock.

"You too." Dick said, he too looked smitten. Raven chuckled to herself and Gar and Vic exchanged knowing looks.

"So, you wanna join our group or what?" Vic asked, nudging Dick in the side to snap him out of staring at Kori.

"Yeah." he said, "If its ok with you guys." he added, staring at Kori again.

"It would be most pleasant." Kori said, staring back at him. Rachel wanted to grab a spoon from one of the kitchen areas' drawers and gag herself with it. Fortunately, the teacher called their attention, sparing her the trouble of dying on an unsanitary community spoon.

"Class! Class!" the teacher called their attention. She then went into a lecture about the importance of Home Ec. She then explained that she originally wanted to be a world class equestrian champion, but the Holy Spirit told her to sell her horse and move back to Jump City (6). By the time they finished hearing about this and the amazing potential she had in the equestrian world, they only had five minutes left in the class.

"Oo-kay." Vic said, "Well she's crazy."

"Tell me about it." Rachel agreed.

The spent the rest of the five minutes talking about the different projects that the teacher said would be assigned to them.

"The sewing is going to be hard!" Gar said, "And it's not like we're going to be using it in real life."

"Then why are you taking the class?" Rachel asked.

"Easy A." Gar said.

"Oh."

"Me too." Dick added, "How 'bout you, Vic? In it for the easy A?"

"Partially. But I'm also here for the cooking." Vic answered, "Kori?"

"I am interested in the course as a whole." she said, "Friend Rachel?"

"I need to learn how to cook sometime." Rachel answered.

"Why don't your mom teach you?" Vic asked.

"She skipped out on my dad and I a while ago." Rachel said with a shrug, acting as though it was nothing. 'Not that I blame her.' she thought.

"Oh. Sorry I brought it up." Vic said.

"Eh, no worries." Rachel said. But an uncomfortable silence fell over the group who was relieved when the bell rang.

* * *

NOTES:

1) Ya know they do.

2) Yeah, I think I might have heard "Glemplork" before, but I can't remember where, I was just trying to think of a word and it came to mind, so I have no idea of it's meaning ( and fully apologize if I got it wrong) and give all credit for the word to some one else….who ever that may be.

3) She sounds a bit paranoid, I know, but the "popular people" at my school once did this to a girl they didn't like. It was rather mean and everybody was torn between feeling sorry for her and wanting to laugh at her because nobody liked her ( that girl was **_ANNOYING!_** ). But for a while after that, nobody wanted to make friends with people from a different "group", especially if the group was "higher" up than they one they belonged to.

4) Ok, so I don't really know _what_ position Cyborg played when he was an athlete, or what a defensive line backer really does, but he looks like a lot of the guys that the sports casters say play that, so I figured that is what he'll play. For wrestling, he looks like a wrestler. Same with shot-put. Sorry if you disagree, or know for sure that he did something else. And, yes, I do know that a lot of people put him as QB, but I don't think he looks like one, at least none of the ones I've seen, they're built a lot smaller than him, being slightly more built that Robin. But, eh?

5) Yeah, the WWII study is for real, but the tofu study is a figment of my imagination, just wanted her to have a reason to prove both right and wrong really.

6) I know that this sounds random, but my art teacher seriously spent the whole first class talking to us about the importance of art class and that the only reason she was back in the area and not off somewhere being a world class equestrian champion, was because the Holy Spirit told her to sell her horse and go teach art (Gotta love the crazy artsy people of this world)! I changed it to Home Ec because it offers so many more comical opportunities, though I think Rachel will be in an art class…I just haven't decided yet.

Ok, so they are all introduced! For those who, for what ever reasons, aren't sure as to who's who:(in order of appearance)

Rachel -- Roth Raven

Trigon Roth (the sleeping/passed out father) -- Trigon (original there, wasn't I?)

Mandy Anders (the black haired girl and Kori's glemplork of a sister) -- Blackfire

Kori Anders -- Starfire

Malchoir -- Malchoir (that was oh-so-hard to figure out, huh? never would of got it with out this note, huh?)

Garfield "Gar" Logan -- Beast Boy

Victor "Vic" Stone -- Cyborg

Richard "Dick" Grayson -- Robin

Umm... I have some ideas for what I want to do with this, but let me know if there is anything you want to see. I'm very open to suggestions. Uh, review please. Try not to flame, but if you find it absolutely necessary I guess tea sounds good.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Believe me, you'd know if I did.

* * *

The rest of the day, the whole one period, passed uneventfully. Rachel quickly grabbed her stuff before Malchoir could find her. She hurried to where her bus was and quickly boarded. Kori joined her and the two engaged in the closest thing to "girl talk" Rachel had ever been involved in.

"Friend Dick is very nice, is he not?" Kori asked, feigning innocence.

"He wears a bit too much hair gel for my tastes, but _someone_ couldn't keep her eyes off of him, could they?" Rachel asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Was I that obvious? I tried to be "cold" about it, but I am afraid I was unsuccessful." Kori said. Rachel assumed that by "cold", Kori meant "cool".

"Don't worry too much about it." Rachel said allowing herself a small giggle, "I don't think he noticed it too much. He was too busy staring at you. Though you might want to watch out for Kitten."

"Who is Kitten?"

"A spoiled brat who usually gets her _daddy_ to get her whatever she wants. She wants Dick, and likes to tell herself that he's hers, but _everyone_ knows that he can't stand her and refuses to even consider dating her. She's rather pathetic really."

"So he does not like this Kitten?"

"Nope, quite the opposite. But you might want to watch your back anyway. It hasn't stopped her from going after other girls that liked Dick."

"Thank you for the advice. I shall be sure to keep it in mind." Kori said in all seriousness. She then looked around, and said, "I believe this is our stop."

They got off the bus and headed different directions to their houses.

* * *

Rachel got to her house and looked for her father's car. She didn't see it. She gave a sigh of relief and went up to the door and in the house. She walked into the hall and through to the stairs. She went into her room and deposited her bags. She then returned to the living room.

She looked around and gave another sigh, this one of defeat. She went into the kitchen and grabbed the trash bags. She went back into the living room and began to pick up the trash from her father's binge last night. After she bagged the trash, she went about righting chairs that had fallen and sorting through the frames that had fallen off their perches on end tables, mantels and shelves, where her father had bumped into them in his drunken state and knocked them over. She threw out the ones beyond repair and placed the others in a box that she stored in the closet.

The phone rang and she picked up.

"Roth residence." she said.

"Rachel?" she heard her father's voice.

"Yes?"

"I'm having associates over for dinner tonight. I want you to call that Italian place and have them bring over enough food for five. You will have the house and yourself ready at six o'clock. This is an important business deal for me with a company that's big on all that family shit. Wear that dress that you got last time." (1)

"Any particular item you want me to have them bring over?" she asked her father.

"That Shrimp dish with the bow tie noodles."

" They aren't allergic to sea food, are they."

"No. I would know these things. Are you saying I don't know how to do my job?" he asked. Rachel could hear his voice rising.

"No. I'm sorry." she quickly tried to placate her father.

"Just make sure everything's ready."

"Should I put out the pictures of mom?"

"Yes. Makes it look like we actually miss the bitch that stuck me with you." Rachel felt her teeth grind.

"Should I have them bring a wine?"

"Yes. That Italian wine." he answered. 'That really narrows it down.'

"Are they bringing three people?"

"No. Wilson's coming too. He's going to be the one in charge of relations between out two companies, he needs to be there too." (2)

"Ok, then. Shrimp Farfalle for five. Italian wine. Mom's pictures. Dress from last time. Six o'clock. Am I forgetting anything?"

"You better hope not." _Click_.

"Love you too, dad." she said, sarcasm dripping off her tongue with every word.

She looked up the number to "that Italian place" and placed the order.

"Are you even old enough to order wine?" the man taking her order asked.

"My father asked me to order it." she answered.

"How do I know you're not lying?" he asked in return.

"My father is Trigon Roth. I believe you've heard of him?"

"Yes, ma'am. He owns Roth Industries."

"Then do you really want to question me?" she asked. (3)

"No ma'am."

"Good. Now have it here at quarter 'til six." she said in a commanding tone.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Send the bill to Roth Industries."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you."

She hung up with the man and looked at the clock. It was 3:30. She had a little over two hours until the food arrived and about two and a half until her father and his guests came. She shivered at the thought of Slade Wilson. She couldn't stand him. He was as bad as her father. No doubt if all went well, he and her father would celebrate out in the town and come back drunker than all get out and either pass out or keep drinking until they did. If it went bad, well, she didn't want to think about that. Either way, her father would be _very_ drunk tonight.

She put the pictures of her mother up in all the places she usually did. She then set the table with the good china and crystal. She made sure all the liquor bottles were full and all the glasses clean.

She then went up stairs to get ready. She slipped on the elegant black dress that her father had bought her for their last "dinner party". She pulled her hair until into a lose bun, curling the tendrils that fell about her face. She then put on enough make up to hide all the bruises, but not enough to where it was over powering on her face. She knew these "family guys". They were old, had big families and were old fashioned. At a dinner on one such occasion where she and her father were the guests, she had applied enough makeup for it to be noticeable because the man had two daughters of his own and she thought that was what he expected of her; instead, he believed that a girl should not wear makeup and commented several times his disappointment that her father was lax enough in his parenting to allow her to wear it. The beating she received that night was one of the worst ever.

She finished applying her make up and put her shoes on. She walked downstairs just as the door bell rung signaling the arrival of the food. She took it into the kitchen and put it on plates, putting the pasta in a warmer and the salad in the refrigerator. She then went through the house into all the rooms that the guests might be in, double checking that everything was in order.

Rachel then went into the front room (4) to wait for her father and the guests. She walked into the hall when her father called to say that they were pulling into the drive and to give her a "friendly warning" that everything had better be ready.

She was the perfect hostess. First taking their coats and hanging them in the closet as her father asked if they would care for something to drink before dinner. When the guests declined, they both walked arm in arm into the dinning room. They then both went into the kitchen where he got the wine and she got the salad. He poured the drinks while she took the salad bowl around the guests.

"Would you like some salad, sir?" she asked in her best tone.

"Why thank you young lady." Mr. Whatever-his-name-was said and he helped him self. "You have a lovely daughter, Mr. Trigon." he said.

" I know and am thankful for it." Trigon said. They both knew this tango well enough and had all the answers down pat. They could do this in their sleep.

"You you must be proud of your dad." Mrs. Wife-of-the-Big-Man said to Rachel as she held the salad for the lady to get some. This let Rachel know that she was to call him "dad".

"Very." she said, putting on her best smile.

After the wine and salad were distributed, Rachel had water, they sat down as a "family" and ate. After the salad was gone, Rachel and her father cleared those plates and came back in with the farfalle.

"Oh, my." said Mr. Big-Boss, "I am afraid that my wife is allergic to seafood."

"My, my, Rachel," came the voice of Slade, "Losing your touch, I see."

"Oh!" Rachel said, "I am so sorry. Are you allergic to chicken? We have some alfredo."

"That would be lovely dear, thank you." Mrs. Just-had-to-be-allergic said, handing her plate to Rachel. As Rachel went into the kitchen she saw her father shoot her a death glare.

She shook off the effects as she ran to the kitchen and grabbed the alfredo that she had ordered just incase this happened. No matter how much of a family man a guy claimed to be, he often forgot to mention his wife's allergies and as seafood was a common allergy, Rachel also tried to circumvent it.

She popped it in the microwave and quickly reheated it. She then put it on a plate and took it in the dinning room.

"Thank you dear." the wife said.

"It was really no problem." Rachel assured her. 'Not yet anyway.' she thought of the doom that awaited her after the guests left, but made no show of it.

The rest of the dinner passed with out incidence. After dinner, her father invited the guests and Slade into the front room. Rachel pretended to be interested in the small talk, but often found her mind wandering. She knew what came where and, by mentally "skimming" the conversation, knew when she would be expected to reply and what answers were expected of her. Over all, except for the seafood allergy incident, the evening went well, and things looked good for her father's business.

After the guests left, Trigon turned to Rachel, anger etched into every inch of his face. Rachel saw Slade smirk over at her and knew that he knew. 'That son of a bitch.'

"I'll deal with you later." her father said to her, "Clean up the mess. Wilson and I are going to celebrate. You just better be glad we were able to cover for your fuck up!"

Rachel bit her tongue. She knew that if she said anything that it would only make it worse. She watched as they went out the door, then gave them a long list of suggestions that were unpleasant and would make a sailor blush. She quickly changed out of the dress she was in and into her jeans and tee-shirt.

She cleaned the mess from the dinner, packing everything away and putting everything in its proper place. She then went up to her room and did the little bit of homework that she had left.

At 10:30, she went to bed, praying that her father and Slade would be too drunk when they got back to remember to "punish" her.

When she woke up for school the next morning, she had several new bruises.

* * *

School seemed to drag on the next day, lasting an eternity. She just wanted to go home and go to sleep, something she hadn't gotten much of the night before. She used her lunch time to make up for the loss.

"Hey, Rea? You ok?" she heard Gar ask her.

"It's Rachel, Garfield." she said, her voice muffled from her face being buried in her arm, "But yes, I'm ok. Thanks though."

"Coe on, Rachel, you know I hate to be called that."

"Don't call me Rea, and I won't call you Garfield." to this Gar grunted.

"Friend Gar is right, why are you so tired?" Kori asked.

"Had a late night." Rachel simply said.

"What were you doing?" Dick, who had joined their table much to his and Kori's delights, asked.

"Reading." she said, not quite reaching any ones eyes as she did. Dick got a skeptical look on his face, but said nothing. "So, do you think we'll start anything in Home Ec?" she asked, feeling uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going.

"I do hope so!" Kori exclaimed, then filled them in on all she wished to make that semester.

* * *

Raven slumped into her house after the brief walk from the bus stop. She quickly deposited her stuff and started to go about her clean up ritual. She had finished the living room and was heading in to the front room to make sure that it was still clean when she saw her father and Slade still passed out on two of the couches. She saw her father shiver as though he was cold. She hung her head, knowing that she was going to hate herself, but went to the linen closet and grabbed two blankets anyway. She then returned to the front room and covered her father and lazily threw the other blanket over Slade. 'God, I'm pathetic.' she thought.

She then went up to her room and did the homework that she hadn't gotten done in the day, then laid down herself and soon fell deep asleep.

* * *

Rachel had mixed emotions Friday morning. On one hand, she was happy that the weekend meant no school, but also afraid of how drunk her father might get and a little sad that she wouldn't see her friends. It was a weird sensation for her, to know that she would miss people. She shook these musings to the side as she walked to the bus stop, however.

"Friend Raven!" Kori greeted her at the stop, "Please, I wish to know if you are busy this weekend?"

"Uh, not that I know of. Why?"

"I wish to engage in 'hanging out'." Kori said, "Would you like to come to my house and we can do the watching of many movies late into the night as we share intimate secrets and do the painting of the nails!"

"Uh, sure." Rachel said, "But I'm not painting my nails and I have no secrets."

Kori was overjoyed that Rachel had simply agreed to the sleep over and talked excitedly about all that they could do. "And perhaps we can meet the boys at the mall of shopping tomorrow!"

"That might be nice." Rachel said.

* * *

That afternoon at lunch, the girls posed this to the boys.

"Sounds awesome!" Gar said.

"Well, all right!" Vic said.

"I'm game." Dick said.

They then discussed how they were going to get there."

"Well, I can always asked Bruce if we can borrow Jarvis." Dick said. The others stared at him, "What?"

"What's a 'Jarvis'?" Gar asked.

"Jarvis is Bruce's driver." Dick said, when they gave him blank stares, he defended himself, "Oh, sure. Pick on the rich kid."

"We're not." Rachel said.

"Yeah, its just that none of us have drivers." Vic said.

"Well, we gonna use him or what?" Dick asked.

"Actually, I was gonna volunteer to drive." Vic said, "I got my license and I got a car for my last birthday. It's not a limo, but it'll fit us all and it runs."

"I like that idea." Gar said, "This way we don't have to worry about time or pick up locations."

Rachel watched as the others planned to trip to the mall. If anybody had told her a week ago that she'd being going to the mall with not only friends, but this particular group of people as her friends, she'd have laughed in their face.

* * *

That afternoon after they got off the bus, Rachel convinced Kori to go to her house while Rachel got her things from her's. Rachel did not want Kori to walk in on her father passed out on the living room couch or into a front room full of empty beer cans.

Rachel walked up to her house and was pleasantly surprised to see that her father's car was not there. She walked in and grabbed some pj's, a pillow, sleeping bag, a change of clothes and various other toiletries that she would need. She then wrote a note to her father to let him know that she was going to stay at a friend's house and was going to the mall the next day.

Rachel then counted the money she had managed to save. "Hmm. Not much." she said to herself, eyeing the ten dollars in her hand. Dare she? She knew where her father kept his money in the house and how to get to it. Should she, could she, get some of it? She ran a hand up her arm and it brushed against a rather sore bruise. After all that man had taken from her, she surely deserved a few bucks. She firmed her resolve and went into her father's study. She opened his safe and took two twenties. He would never notice it and that should last her a good while. After she closed the safe, she went around the house and quickly picked up the trash, then grabbed her stuff and left.

When she got to Kori's house, she heard screaming coming from inside.

She cautiously knocked on the door and saw a flustered Kori answer the door.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

"Yes. Everything is fine." Kori said, though she sniffed in displeasure, "My sister is just being a -!" What it was exactly that Kori's sister, Mandy, was being, Rachel neither knew or understood. The word was obviously some sort of insult in Kori's native language, however, because her sister came storming into the hall, yelling at her again. Eventually the sisters gave up their feud and Mandy left.

"I apologize for that." Kori said, her cheeks turning red, "I did not mean for you to see an argument."

"No worries." Rachel said, thinking 'That was nothing.'

"Come, let me show you my room!" Kori instantly brightened.

Kori led Rachel up a flight of stairs and through a small hallway to a door with a flowery name plate the read "Kori" on it. The inside of the room was equally "girly" with its pastel purple walls and carpet, her many stuffed animals on her purple canopy bed and white wicker furniture. Rachel, feeling Kori stare upon her, fought the urge to gag, instead pasting a smile and saying that it was nice.

"Glorious!" Kori exclaimed, "Shall we now engage in the sharing of intimate secrets, or the painting of the nails? Or perhaps we may perform braiding maneuvers upon each others hair?"

"Um." Rachel stared at her for a while, at a loss for words. Eventually Kori suggested that they wait a while to do these things and Rachel readily agreed.

* * *

Both girls were in sleeping bags on Kori's floor. Kori had convinced Rachel to paint her nails (black) and to allow Kori to braid her hair. Kori even got Rachel to braid part of her hair, which shocked Rachel, she usually despised anything this "girly", but found that it had actually sounded appealing. 'Must be the effect of the room.' she thought to herself.

They were laying in the dark, looking at the ceiling and its glow-in-the-dark stars, discussing the craziness of the Home Ec teacher when, seemingly out of nowhere, Kori posed a question that scared Rachel to the bone.

"Why do you always wear your sweatshirt?"

"What do you mean? I don't always wear it." Rachel tried to bluff her way out.

"I have not seen you with out it." Kori said, "Even now, when we are in our pajamas, you still wear it. Why?"

"Sentimental value." Rachel lied.

"Oh." Kori said, though her tone was one that said she didn't completely buy into the excuse.

"Why do you ask?" Rachel asked.

"Oh, it is nothing. Just something Mandy said earlier." Kori said.

"What did she say?"

"She-she said that your father beats you. I know it was just her being mean. She said that that was why your mother left. I told her she was being a garfnark, but she insisted that she was correct. That is what we were fighting about when you arrived."

"Don't listen to anything she said. Like you said, she was being a garfnark thing. ('Whatever that is.') It's ok." Rachel said, carefully avoiding the lie. "Where is your sister anyway."

"She is out with her friends." Kori sad sadly, " I think she might stay at ones house."

"Who's house?" Rachel asked, thinking it a good place to cause trouble if Mandy didn't stop telling these "rumors".

"I believe she is staying at Kitten's house."

"Oh, Kori. I'm so sorry." Rachel said, rolling over to her stomach to prop herself up to look at her friend. Kitten had been nothing but trouble for Kori ever since it became a bit more than obvious that Dick liked Kori. She had cornered her in hallways and at her locker, causing her to be late for several classes.

"It is ok." Kori said.

'No it's not." Rachel said, "It's wrong. She's your sister, that's tantamount to family treason!"

"My sister and I have never been close. She and I are nothing alike and never have been. I am quite used to this."

"That doesn't make it right." Rachel said as she laid back down.

* * *

NOTES:

1) Ok, so I know it's not really original, but I have Trigon as owing this big business, and no, I don't know what it's point is. For all I know, its just a front to launder mafia money. Eh. :S But I figured it fit because it gives him clout and would make others fear him or what he could have done to them, kinda like if he was the demon that he is in the series.

2) Yep, Slade works for him. Only fitting really. Either that, or he was the principal of the school, and I don't think that really conveys the evilness that is Slade, though they can certainly be evil ( and in the case of mine, ninja like how _does_ he get from one end of the hall to the other in the time space of three human steps?).

3) Her throwing her heritage around and using it to her advantage. Hehe, she can be so evil at times.

4) Ok, I don't know about where where-ever you guys are from, but here, the living room is like the room where people watch TV, hang out, stuff like that (kinda like a rec. or Family room) and the front room is like the room with couches and chairs and pictures of the family (though the living room has pictures too) and generally serves no purpose other that when important people come over and nobody wants them to see the mess of the living room and is usually at the front of the house, hence "front room" ( or they use it as a front to suggest that they are neat and orderly all the time…). Unless of course you're from my family and the meanings are synonymous.

Ok, so there's the next post…..hoped you guys liked it. Uh, yeah, not every post is going to be the next day, but I do have a bit written and I got like, 5 or 6 reviews on one day and I got excited! Uh, sorry if you thought anyone was OOC, but I personally liked this post, not as well as others (especially those by other people) but, there you go.

Uh, I was TOTTALLY serious when I asked for ideas on what to put in this fic. Please, if there is ANY thing you want to see, lemme know! And I want to see Vic (Cyborg) with _someone_ in this, but I don't know _who_, so lemme know on that. :D.

Thanks for all the kind words! Reviews feed my muse (not to mention my ego):D So, please, please review! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. If I did, I wouldn't be writing here, now would I?

* * *

The next morning, Rachel woke up from the best night of sleep in her life, or at least in a long time. She had been able to sleep the night through, and not wake up to her father's yells, drunken stumbles or his anger. She also woke to the smells of breakfast being made and not the smell of alcohol. She sat up to see Kori already up and applying makeup at her vanity. "Morning." Rachel said.

"Very good morning, friend." Kori said, turning in her seat, then facing the mirror again, "My uncle is making us a breakfast of the cakes of pan. We have the syrups of maple, blueberry and strawberry."

"That sounds… nice." Rachel said, stretching.

"It is to be a glorious meal." Kori agreed.

"Do I got time to get ready?"

"Certainly." Kori assured her, "The bathroom is that way. My sister and I share a bathroom, but she is not here." she added, pointing to a door that lead out of her room.

Rachel walked into the decidedly girly bathroom. It was done in a "rubber ducky" theme with potpourri every where making it smell like the fake flower section of a craft store. She grabbed a quick shower and wrapped a towel around herself and her hair. She inspected her bruises, they were a yellowish-purple. She covered those she felt were necessary to cover with makeup, then got dressed. She dried her hair and applied the little but of makeup that she always did to explain what she used to cover her bruises. She walked back into Kori's room and found Kori waiting for her.

"Are you ready, friend?" Kori asked her.

"Yep." Rachel said, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Not at all." Kori said as she started down the stairs.

* * *

After they finished breakfast, they went back to Kori's room to find something to do until the boys called them with the plans for the day. They flipped through the channels, finding nothing, then Kori flipped through her magazines as Rachel read a bit of her book.

"Rachel?" Kori asked.

"Yes, Kori?"

"Would you engage in this game in the magazine with me?" (11)

"I dunno, Kori. They're not exactly my thing."

"Please, dear friend. I would be most grateful." Kori pleaded. Raven went to give her an exasperated look, but was not prepared for the look on Kori's face. Kori had the largest, saddest puppy eyes and was pouting her lips, her bottom lip quivering. 'How the hell did her parents discipline her?' Rachel wondered.

"Fine, Kori." Rachel gave a sigh, "What do I have to do?"

"It is most simple!" Kori exclaimed, "Answer the following questions, allow me to get a piece of paper and a pen," she grabbed said items, returning to her bed and magazine, "Ok. 1. When do you feel your best? A. in the morning B. during the afternoon & early evening or C. late at night?"

"Probably 'C'." Rachel said.

"I think that 'A' is the best answer for me." Kori said, writing their answers on the paper in two separate columns. "Next question. 2. You usually walk: A. fairly fast, with long steps, B. fairly fast, with short, quick steps, C. less fast head up, looking the world in the face, D. less fast, head down or E. very slowly?"

"'D'."

"'C' for me. Ok, 3. When talking to people you: A. stand with your arms folded, B. have your hands clasped, C. have one or both your hands on your hips, D. touch or push the person to whom you are talking or E. play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your hair?"

"'E'."

"'B'." Kori wrote their answers, "4. When relaxing, you sit with: A. your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side, B. your legs crossed, C. your legs stretched out or straight or D. one leg curled under you?"

"'D'."

"'B.' 5. When something really amuses you, you react with: A. a big, appreciative laugh, B. a laugh, but not a loud one, C. a quiet chuckle or D. a sheepish smile?"

"'C'."

" I believe my answer is 'A'."

"I'd agree with that."

"Next question. 6. When you go to a party or social gathering you: A. make a loud entrance so everyone notices you, B. make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know or C. make the quietest entrance, trying to stay unnoticed?"

"I don't go out." Rachel said plainly.

"Then apply the hypothetical situation to this question."

"Fine, then 'C' I guess."

"'B' for me. 7. You're working very hard, concentrating hard, and you're interrupted. Do you: A. welcome the break, B. feel extremely irritated or C. vary between these two extremes?"

"Definitely 'B'."

"'A'. 8. Which of the following colors do you like most? A. red or orange, B. black, C. yellow or light blue, D. green, E. dark blue or purple, F. white or G. brown or gray?"

"'E'."

"'C'. 9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep, you lie: A. stretched out on your back, B. stretched out face down on your stomach, C. on your side, slightly curled, D. with your head on one arm or E. with your head under the covers?"

"'C'."

"'E'. Last question-"

"Thank the gods!" Rachel exclaim. Kori gave her a look.

"10. You often dream that you are: A. falling, B. fighting or struggling, C. searching for something or somebody, D. flying or floating, E. you usually have dreamless sleep or F. your dreams are always pleasant?"

Rachel felt her breath catch. She usually had nightmares. About her father. 'B' was definitely the truthful answer, but Kori would no doubt want to know _who_ she fought with. No, she would have to lie about this, "'E'."

"I usually have dreams where I am flying, so 'D' is my answer." Kori said. Rachel was thankful that Kori didn't catch her lie.

Kori gave each answer it's appointed value, then summed up each of their totals. "Your score is 35, friend Rachel. According to this survey, for 31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest...Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over it if that trust is ever broken."

"That's oddly accurate." Rachel commented, a little surprised at this fact.

"My score was a 44, according to this for 41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting;  
someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out."

"That's you." Rachel said, once again a little surprised at the accuracy. Since when were magazines any good at this type of thing? (12)

"That was very enjoyable." Kori said.

"What do the others say?" Rachel asked. They spent the next half hour assigning score groups to their friends and other people they knew.

* * *

Dick called around noon about going to the mall.

"When can you guys be ready?" he asked Kori who was on the phone. She was about to answer when they heard a door down stairs slam. The sounds of Kori's uncle and Mandy arguing filtered through the open door to Kori's door.

"The soonest you can retrieve us, I believe." Kori said. She hurriedly said good bye to Dick and hung up the phone before Mandy and their uncle had finished their argument. Rachel tried to listen to it, but it was in their native language.

"What are they saying?" she asked Kori.

"Apparently she is showing signs of having an over hang." Kori whispered as she continued to listen.

"A hang over?"

"Yes." they tried to listen to the rest of the argument, but they heard Mandy stomping up the stairs. They quickly busied them selves with whatever was closest to them and pretended that they hadn't heard a thing. Mandy poked her head in and glared at them.

"Keep it down today, kiddies? I got a killer headache." she said, friendly enough except for the glare accompanying the "request".

"You might want to take some aspirin." Rachel suggested, also innocently enough, except for that barely noticeable hint of sarcasm. Mandy gave her a questioning look, as though she thought it might have been more than a friendly suggestion, but was obviously too hung over use that much mental effort with out adding to her headache. She gave them a glare, then went off to her room. After they heard her door shut, Kori and Rachel looked at each other, then bust out laughing. They heard Mandy's door open and they stopped and busied themselves with what they had used earlier. Mandy gave them a look that said that she thought she was going crazy or hearing things.

"May we be of assistance, sister?" Kori asked.

"Were you two laughing?" Mandy asked.

"No." Rachel said, "That would violate the 'keep it down' rule."

"You do not look well, sister, perhaps you should lay down for a while," Kori added. Mandy gave them another piercing stare, then went back to her room. Rachel and Kori once again exchanged glances, but this time, contained themselves to giggles.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Dick and Victor showed up at Kori's house to pick them up.

"Your chariot awaits, my ladies." Vic said, bowing.

"Please, I thought you had a car." Kori said confused.

"It's a saying, Kori." Dick explained.

"Shall we go?" Rachel asked, "This noise might aggravate Mandy's headache."

"We wouldn't want to do that now would we?" Dick asked though he clearly had no trouble with it.

"Did I miss something?" Vic asked.

"She came home with a hang over." Rachel said.

"It serves her right." Kori said, determination on her face.

Rachel looked around them, "But speaking of loud and annoying, where's Gar?"

"We're getting him next." Dick said, "His house is on the way to the mall from here."

"Shall we go pick the little bean sprout up?" Vic asked as they headed to the door.

"Please, Gar is a bean sprout?" Kori asked.

"That's all he eats, Kori. Vic's making fun of his diet." Dick explained.

"Oh! I understand. Let's go pick the tofu up!" she said excitedly. The others couldn't help but laugh at her effort.

* * *

They pulled up to Gar's house ten minutes later.

"Hey, Vic, why don't you and Rachel go get him?" Dick asked, though he was staring at Kori the entire time. The two who had been volunteered chuckled at his not-so-smooth attempt to be alone with Kori, but got out of the car.

"He's wanting to ask her out." Vic whispered to Rachel after they got out of ear shot.

"You think he'll do it?" Rachel asked.

"I doubt it." Vic said, "He's to afraid of emotion."

"That was a decidedly girly thing to say." Gar said at the door, "So were you guys gonna ring the bell or stand on my front porch all day?"

"Shut up." Vic said, glancing back at the car then turning to Gar, "Act like you're talking to your parents."

"Why?" a confused Gar said.

"Dick's trying to ask Kori out." Rachel said matter-of-factly.

"Oh. Now I know where that girly statement from Vic came from." Gar said, "Lemme go see if I can get more money out of my parents."

"I told you Garfield." a man's voice came from the house, "If you want more money, you'll have to do your chores. Or get a job." he said as he slipped a ten in Gar's hand, "And be sure to bring home proof you didn't blow it all in the arcade for your mother."

"Sure, dad." Gar said, pocketing the ten, "These are my friends, you know Vic, and this is Rachel."

"Vic." Gar's dad nodded, "Nice to meet you, Rachel."

"Mr. Logan." Vic nodded back.

"Nice to meet you too, sir." Rachel said.

"You still need some time?" Gar's dad, a sly grin on his face. The other's grinned and Vic looked.

"A little." Vic said, "I think he's still trying to get his courage. It's kinda sad really."

"I don't blame him." Gar's dad said, "It can be scary. But, Rachel Roth, right?"

"Yes sir." Rachel said.

"Your father owns Roth Industries?"

"Yes, sir."

'Wow." Gar said, "I didn't know that."

"You're father's company supplies a lot of our equipment." Gar's dad said, "We have a dinner meeting coming up soon."

"Is that so?" Rachel asked, "When?"

"Tuesday, I think."

"Do you have any preferences for dinner? Or any allergies?"

"No allergies, and any thing is good really? Why? Wanting to give your cook a heads up?"

"We don't have a cook." Rachel said, "We have the dinner parties catered."

"Oh. That's nice." Mr. Logan said, "Tell your father to order what ever he likes. And ask if it'll be ok if we bring Garfield along."

"I'm sure he'll have no problem with it." Rachel said, though she wasn't so sure how _she_ felt about it. What if he found something out?

"Well, then, as long as there's something vegetarian there, we're good." Mr. Logan said.

"We're good now." Vic said, "It was nice talking to you again, Mr. Logan."

"You too, Vic. Rachel, see you on Tuesday."

"Goodbye, Mr. Logan."

"Bye, dad. See you later."

"Bye, Garfield." Mr. Logan said as he closed the door.

"You think he did it?" Gar asked.

"No." Rachel said, "Look at his face, he's mad at himself."

"Well, let's not let on that we know something's wrong."

* * *

"So, what shall we do?" Kori asked as they entered the mall.

"Let's go to the arcade!" Gar said.

"Now, now, Garfield, you're not to blow all your money at the arcade." Vic teased.

"Shut up, _mother_." Gar bit.

"Let's get something to eat." Dick said.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Rachel said. So they headed to the food court.

After they ordered their meals and had sat down, they enjoyed a pleasant meal. Rachel felt odd. It wasn't like the meals she had with her father's clients. No. This was what she imagined family meals to be like. Playful banter on food selections, light conversation. This was nice. She was brought out of her reverie by the voice of Gar.

"And I get to see Rachel in a dress!" he was saying victoriously.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"The dinner thing on Tuesday." he said.

"But why are you excited to see Rachel in a dress?" Kori asked, "She is a girl. It is not that uncommon to see girls in dresses."

"I've never seen Rachel in a dress." Gar said.

"You've known me for a week." Rachel said.

"But no body's seen you in a dress." Gar said, "No one."

"You know, Rachel, he's right." Vic said, "You didn't even where a dress for any of those chorus things they make the freshman be in."

"So? I still where dresses at least once a week at my father's stupid dinner things." she defended.

"It's just a bit of a novelty." Dick said, "It's not that common for the normal person to see."

"Whatever." Rachel said in a way that said the conversation was closed, "What are we doing next?"

"Arcade!"

"Movies!"

"I wish to go to the clothes store!"

"The auto shop!"

"Sorry I asked."

* * *

After they left the mall, after Rachel was dragged to the arcade, the movies, three different clothing stores and the auto shop, Vic dropped her off at her house, after dropping Kori off at her house and allowing Rachel to get her stuff.

"Thanks, Vic. See you guys on Monday." she said through Dick's open window.

She walked up to her house and in the front door. She was greeted with a rather unpleasant sight. Her father was sitting in a chair he had moved into the hallway.

"Where were you?" he asked. It was in a normal voice, almost as though he wasn't angry or upset at all, like he was asking about the weather. This sent shivers down Rachel's spine.

"I spent the night at Kori Anders' house and then went to the mall with her and a few other friends." she said, trying to keep the fear out of her voice and make it as even as her father's had been, " I left a note."

"I saw that." he said, examining his nails, "What if I had called home with last minute dinner plans?"

"You were out of town." she defended, "You always go to Gotham City on Fridays. There's never any dinner things on Fridays."

"You just better be glad there wasn't. This would've been a lot worse if there was." he said as he stood up, "I'll teach you to leave me high and dry like that."

* * *

Notes:

11) I got this from a website is http/ no, I don't own the quiz or website. Darn.

12) I honestly didn't rig that. I filled in the answers that I thought best fit them. Oh, and here are the scores and results for those who did this (come on….you know you at least wanted to…..my score was 33.)

POINTS:  
**1**. a. 2 b. 4 c. 6  
**2**. a. 6 b. 4 c. 7 d. 2 e. 1  
**3**. a. 4 b. 2 c. 5 d. 7 e. 6  
**4**. a. 4 b. 6 c. 2 d. 1  
**5**. a. 6 b. 4 c. 3 d. 5 e. 2  
**6**. a. 6 b. 4 c. 2  
**7**. a. 6 b. 2 c. 4  
**8**. a. 6 b. 7 c. 5 d. 4 e. 3 f. 2 g. 1  
**9**. a. 7 b. 6 c. 4 d. 2 e. 1  
**10**. a. 4 b. 2 c. 3 d. 5 e. 6 f. 1  
Now add up the total number of points.  
OVER 60 POINTS: Others see you as someone they should "handle with care" You're seen as vain, self-centered, and who is extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they could be more like you, but don't always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply involved with you.  
51 TO 60 POINTS: Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality; a natural leader, who's quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone who will try anything once; someone who takes chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate.  
41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting; someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out.  
31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest...Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over it if that trust is ever broken.  
21 TO 30 POINTS: Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It'd really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then, usually decide against it. They think this reaction is caused partly by your careful nature.  
UNDER 21 POINTS: People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someone who needs looking after, who always wants someone else to make the decisions & who doesn't want to get involved with anyone or anything. They see you as a worrier who always sees problems that don't exist. Some people think you're boring. Only those who know you well know that you aren't.

So, yeah. Hoped you liked it. Uh, take the test, it's actually a bit of fun. Um, yeah, hope no one was too OOC, though in rereading this, I can see where Rachel would have some different answered, I also think that she might have these ones. And sorry this wasn't as long as I wanted it to be, but with the test and the scores and results and stuff, it seemed a bit long.

I hope that the dinner things with the Logans wasn't too overboard, but I liked the idea, and I think it might be a good time to insert some tension between them. I dunno, maybe.

Thanks to those who reviewed! I'm guessing that everyone wants Vic with Karen Beecher. Okie, dokie then.

Please review! Uh, the next post should have the dinner thingy with the Logans! And sorry that this wasn't posted as fast as the last one was, but I've been busy and had a bit of writers' block (icky). So, I hope to post soon. Thanks a lot!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Would I be writing here if I did? I think not! Only if I got bored.

* * *

Rachel woke up at noon the next day. She tenderly stretched as she sat up in her bed. She took a bath, the bruises to tender to take a shower. She slowly lowered herself into the steaming bath water and lay back. She lay there until the water had cooled enough to stop steaming and had become rather cool. She got out and drained the tub. After the tub had drained, she attempted to take a shower. It stung her bruises, but she never felt clean after a bath, always feeling like she was just steeping in her own filth and that of her situation. The powerful jets of water coming out of the shower head blasted away the filth and they swirled away down the drain.

After getting her shower and gently patting herself dry, she slipped on some sweats and a t-shirt. She looked over her homework. Finding it to her satisfaction, she headed down to the kitchen to make herself some tea.

She slowly made her way to the kitchen, peaking in the different rooms that her father could've passed out in. When she didn't find him, she thought that he might of actually fallen asleep in his own room for once.

She set the kettle on the stove top and turned the burner on. She got a cup and a bag of tea. She put just a hint of sugar into the cup, enough to counteract the bitterness of the tea, but not enough to make the tea sweet. Right before the kettle started to whistle, she removed it and poured the hot water into the cup. She allowed the tea to brew and the water to cool to a drinkable level as she grabbed the paper and yesterday's mail out of the mail box and paper slot. When she got back, she flipped through to the paper while idly stirring her tea. The next sound she heard was quite possibly the last she wanted to hear.

"Hehhemm."(1) came the voice of Slade Wilson.

"Good morning." she said, in a tone that said otherwise.

"Well, well." he said, "Isn't this cute. Little Rachel reading the paper. Trying to act all grown up now are we?"

"No." Rachel said as she took a sip of her tea, it was still too hot and burned going down. "It's some thing my mother and I used to do. I've developed a bit of a habit out of it."

"You and your mother?" he asked, "I dare say your father wouldn't like you doing something that brought memory of her in to his house."

"Actually, my father doesn't care what I do as long as it doesn't bother him." Rachel said coolly, taking another sip.

"I flatter myself to say that I know a little more of what your father does and does not like you doing. And his business."

"Than you give yourself more flattery than you deserve." she said, looking up from the paper, " Tell me something." she challenged.

"I know your father's favorite drink."

"Jack on the rocks."

"I know your father's favorite hooker."

"A lady about seven years older than me at 22 who callers her self Nurse Nancy."

"I know your father's favorite restaurant."

"He calls it 'that Italian place' but the real name is Eddies."

"His favorite dish-"

"Anything with shrimp."

"His favorite place to stay when on business trips is-"

"The nicest hotel close to the strip clubs."

"His favorite breakfast-"

"Eggs benedict with light toast and a little butter."

"Lunch-"

"Here or away?"

"Either."

"Here its what ever strikes his fancy at Harry's Subs. Away it's simple things like drive through or what ever he can get when in a meeting."

"Least favorite person-"

"Weak people."

"Favorite person-"

"Himself."

Silence.

"What? No more questions?" Rachel asked, mock disappointment on her face, "Then can I get back to my paper?" she asked while cutting him off from view by lifting it to her face.

"She got you there, Wilson." her father's voice came from the door leading to the rest of the house. Slade made a noncommittal grunt as Rachel's father grabbed some orange juice. He caught her eyes and gave an approving nod, the most fatherly gesture he had given her in a while. She nodded back.

Neither would admit it, but as they turned from each other, they had the same exact smirk on their face (2).

* * *

The next day found Rachel back in school. Sigh. At least the day was almost over, she was currently in Home Ec. They were supposed to be reviewing the different types of thread and their different uses. Sigh, again. They were going to be sewing thissemester and cooking next semester. She looked at her book and read the description of each type. This for silk, this for leather, this for cotton. Who really cared? Maybe people for who this was actually going to come in handy, but her? If she needed clothes, she'd buy them. She was drawn from her mental groaning by the voice of Kori.

"Are any of you going to do the auditioning for the school play?" she asked the group.

"I am." Gar said. The other's gave him looks. "What? I'm a natural actor." he said, striking a pose that looked like it belonged in some thing from Shakespeare.

"I too am doing the auditioning." she said.

"Dick is too." Gar said.

"I am?" Dick asked him in a tone that said "I'd like to see you try to make me".

"Mandatory, man." Gar said, "Or weren't you listening to Mrs. McKinney yesterday?"

"Not really." Dick said, a defeated look crossing his face.

"Sorry 'bout that, man." Vic said, clapping Dick on the back.

"How about you friends Rachel and Vic?" Kori asked.

"Lighting and sound." Vic said.

"Props and scenery." Rachel said, "Mandatory for us art people too."

"At least you don't have to be in it." Dick bit at her.

"Not my fault you took drama." Rachel said.

"Not mine either." Dick said, "Bruise's idea. 'It looks good to society'." he added, taking a deeper tone of voice, obviously mimicking his adopted father.

"Well that sucks for you." Gar said.

"Speaking of good fronts," Rachel said, "What do you want for dinner tomorrow."

"Where you getting it from?"

"Probably Eddies'."

"What ever as long as it doesn't have any form of meat in it. Oh, yeah. My mom wants to know what color dress you're gonna wear."

"I dunno yet." Rachel shrugged, "I need to find out how important your parents are to my dad." she joked, "See if I need to get a new dress or wear an old one."

"Thanks. Thanks a lot." Gar joked back, "I might get a new dress, if you're _important_ that is. I'll have you know that I have to wear a suite, tie and all!"

"I'll be wearing a dress. Probably black by the way." Rachel said, "Unless your parents got an issue with people wearing black." she added, looking to him for an answer.

"No." he said, "Do people really have a problem with that?"

"One lady said I must have been depressed or something and that my father should spend more time tending to my needs." she gave a small shiver at the memory of the fall out of that. Luckily no one saw it, or so she thought. Gar did see it, but decided not to comment on it. He too had heard the rumors about her father, mostly spread by Malchoir and recently Mandy and Kitten. Malchoir he understood spreading stuff like that, Rachel had dumped him after it became obvious that he only wanted to use her and she denied him. But Mandy and Kitten he couldn't explain, unless it was a way to vicariously get to Kori, which he didn't really doubt now that he thought of it.

"So black?" he asked.

"Most likely."

"Ok, then. If we're important enough that is." he joked.

"You know I was joking, right?" she asked.

"Yeah." he said, a half smile on his face.

"Would you mind not mentioning that to any one?" she asked, the last thing she needed was for it to be brought up to her dad. He wouldn't care if it was joking or not.

"No worries." he said.

"Thanks." she said as the bell rang.

* * *

Rachel's last class of the day was Art, the class that had subjected her to a life of servitude to the Drama class. A senior from one of the advanced Art classes came to talk to them about their work on the props and scenery. Her name was Lindy and she had, obviously dyed, blue hair. She had a slightly maniacal gleam in her eye that told them this was the highlight of her year. She was one of _those_ kinds. Rachel gave a involuntary shudder (3).

"As you all know," she started, "it is mandatory for all art students to work on scenery and props for the Drama productions."

"Though it is an honor!" the art teacher said, Rachel sniggered to herself, just last Friday he was complaining that it took half a year away from his total teaching time.

"I agree." Lindy said, "But, for those who don't know, the Drama department has decided that the first class will do a slightly down-sized and more 'high school friendly' version of RENT." she added, saying "high school friendly" with bunny ear quotation marks (4).

"What does 'high school friendly' mean?" a girl Rachel recognized as Jenny.

"Well, Mimi's character's dance would be altered to be less racy." Lindy said, "If they don't change it all, that is. And the language needs to be censored."

"Oh." Jenny said.

"But I'm finding out if anyone has any preferences on jobs." Lindy said, looking around expectantly. No one said anything. "Ok then." she said when it was obviously that no one did, "Then, we are going to be having a meeting with the Drama people and the people on lights and sounds on Thursday after school for any one who wants to go. There's a paper taped to the wall next to the door. Just sign it if you want to go. We need a head count is all this is for." she said shrugging. "Um, yeah. You will be watching the movie in class. Keep in mind that the play is different and our version will be too. So I guess that I'll see whoever wants to be there on Thursday.

They spent the rest of the class time watching part of the movie RENT. After they listened to the afternoon announcements and the bell rang, they herded though the doors. Rachel deliberately hung back, trying to decide if she wanted to go to that meeting. She saw Jenny doing the same.

"You thinking about going too?" Jenny asked her.

"Thinking. You?"

"Same." Jenny shrugged, then thought, "What say we go?"

"I don't have a reason not to." Rachel thought aloud.

"See you around then?" Jenny asked as they left the room.

"Guess so." Rachel told her, then they headed off to their own lockers.

* * *

When Rachel got home she was surprised to see her father home. Not only that, but he was sober. 'Miracles never cease.' she thought.

What also surprised her was that he had hired a cleaning crew. They were scrubbing the carpets, mopping the floors, dusting all surfaces, and getting the spaces in between. Rachel was impressed.

"Hi." she said, "What's going on?"

"I have an important business dinner tomorrow." her father said, "Everything has to be perfect."

"I didn't know the Logans were so important." Rachel said.

"One of the most important." her father said absent-mindedly, "Wait a minute. How did you know we were dining with the Logans?"

"I'm friends with their son, Gar." Rachel said.

"You have friends?" her father asked in all seriousness.

"Imagine that." she retorted.

"Anyway. What can you tell me about them?"

"For tomorrow?" Rachel asked, her father nodded, "They like Italian, Gar is a vegetarian slash budding vegan. They wanted to know what color dress I'm wearing. They hold a lot of respect for your company (Rachel shivered at the thought)."

"Family orientated?"

"Very much so."

"Do you suggest the pictures of your mother being up or down?"

"Up, definitely."

"Damn." her father said, "Alcohol?"

"Doubt it, but have it available and offer, just in case."

"Very well." her father said, inspecting an area of the living room, "Oh, you're gonna need a new dress." he added, reaching into his wallet and grabbing some cash, "Get one and anything else it is you need."

"I need a new sweatshirt." Rachel tempted the fates.

"Here's an extra thirty." he said, pulling more out of his wallet. Rachel thanked the lucky what ever it was she rubbed against earlier that day. She could always get almost anything out of her father when he was worried about important clients. Should she press for those new shoes? Not today. Maybe if she had enough left over after she got what she needed.

* * *

Half an hour later found Rachel in the middle of the fourth circle of hell. The dress department of the department store. She hated it here, the saleswomen were always pushy and nosey and wanted to put her in dresses with sequins and lace or plunging neck and back lines. It was slightly more tolerable now, however, as most of the saleswomen would leave her alone, claiming her to be "no fun". Let them call her whatever they wanted, as long as she got the peace she wanted.

She pulled two off the racks and compared them. One was the traditional black, the other a white. The black had a fitted bodice and a flowy skirt part. That was it. Just plain. Like she liked them. But the white one had been catching her eye for the past fifteen minutes. It too had a fitted bodice, but it laced up the back and tied at the bottom, the thin straps being part of the laces There were small beads along the top of the bodice and along the bottom of the skirt part, which was also flowy. The beads were so small that, at any distance greater than personal space boundaries, they looked like dust, the stardust of fairy tales, Rachel thought. It was pretty.

But it was too pretty for a dinner party. Maybe if she got invited to a formal dance, which she doubted. Maybe if her art was ever noticed and she had a gallery opening. That was possible. Yeah. This would be her gallery opening dress. She replaced it and went to make sure the black dress fit. Great, she had to face the salespeople of doom. She shivered.

* * *

That evening, she showed her father her dress and placed it up in her room. They then had "family time", as her father called it, where they practiced liking being in each other's company. They caught up on each other's news and exchanged small talk. This is when Rachel decided to let her father know about the meeting on Thursday.

"No matter to me." he said, "I have to go to Key City Wednesday afternoon anyway, I'll be gone for a few days." And with that he opened his last bottle of Jack for twenty four hours, "Now get out of here, Nurse Nancy is going to be here in fifteen minutes and I don't want you around to make her feel awkward."

"I'll be at the library." she said, feeling slightly dejected no matter how much she tried to tell herself she didn't care.

* * *

Rachel arrived at the library at about 6:30. She took in the familiar scent of old and new books, furniture that was older than she was and spray cleaner used on the table and desk tops. She went over to the library computer to access their website and see what book it was that they recommended this week and see if it sounded any good.

On her way over, however, she spotted a familiar face. Jenny was sitting in an alcove of sorts, feet in her seat, reading a book.

"Hey." Rachel said, altering her course to head over to where Jenny was.

"Hey." Jenny replied, clearly trying to get to a good stopping point in her book quickly but without missing anything. Rachel understood this as it happened to her often in school, and sat down quietly. Eventually Jenny found her stopping place, dog-eared the page and closed the book, "What you doing here?"

Rachel shrugged, what was she supposed to say? 'Oh, my father is having his hooker over and told me to get lost'? Yeah, that'd go over well. "Had nothing better to do? You?"

"Same." Jenny said, also shrugging.

They sat in silence for a while, then Rachel asked what she was reading.

"Wicked." Jenny said, "It's pretty good."

"What's it about?" Rachel asked, Jenny handed her the book. "Wicked: The life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West" Rachel read silently. She flipped to the summary and read it. It sounded like it might be good. She handed it back to Jenny. "Do they have another copy?" she asked.

"Are you kidding?" Jenny asked, "I reserved this a month and a half ago!"

"Wow? Is it that popular?"

"Apparently, but I'll tell you what, I have this for a month and there's no way it'll take me that long to read this. I'll let you have it after I'm done as long as you promise to get it back to me by-" she looked at the slip of paper the held the due date, "a week before the fifth, so that's the what? There's 30 days in this month, so the 29? Yeah, the 29th. Get it back to me by the 29. I don't want any late fees." she added the late fee part as an after thought (5).

"With a book that size, if you were to give it to me next Monday morning, I'd have it back to you Tuesday afternoon."

"Really?" Jenny asked.

"What else would I fill my school day with? School work?" Rachel asked, laughing.

"Good point." Jenny consented, also laughing.

"Well, I'm off to find a book before they kick us out of here." Rachel said, standing up.

"Kay. See you later." Jenny said, opening her book.

"See ya." Rachel said as she headed off to the fiction section of the library. What to read this time? Horror? Mystery? Fantasy? A poetry book? A non-fiction? She walked passed the isles lost in thought. What was it she felt she needed in her life right now? She walked down the isle that contained the C's and D's. She spotted a section filled with Agatha Christie novels. She glanced through them. It had been a while since she had read one and decided that a mystery sounded good. She eventually settled on "Ten Little Indians" and pulled it from the shelf.

It was now fifteen minutes until the library closed and they were asking everyone who wanted to check something out to do so now. She headed up to the counter and handed the book to the first librarian she saw.

* * *

The next day in biology, after the teacher was done lecturing for the day and was allowing them to talk, Gar turned to Rachel. "So, can I talk to you now?" he asked. He had been trying all through out the class, but she kept shushing him, trying to pay attention to the difference between chromosomes and chromatin as biology was a little harder for her and she needed to listen. Gar, on the other hand, had biologists for parents and they seemed to have passed the genes that carried their affinity for biology to him and he just understood it. Darn him.

"Well I'm sorry I don't just get this like you do and I actually have to pay attention." she said sarcastically.

"It's not my fault that I already know this stuff." he defended.

"It's not my fault I don't." Rachel clarified.

"True enough." Gar said, "But are we important?" he asked.

"What?" Rachel asked as she loaded her books in her bag.

"Are we important? Is my parents' lab important to Roth Industries?" he asked again, this time being more specific.

"Oh. That." she said when she realized what he was talking about, "Yeah, very. My father said that you guys were one of his most important."

"So you got a new dress?" he asked.

"Yep. Black." she answered, then asked, "What is it with you wanting to see me in a dress?"

"It'd just be weird." he said nonchalantly as the bell rang, then added as they stood up, "It'd be proof that you are a girl and not just a guy pretending to be one and hiding his lack of boobs under a baggie hoodie all the time."

* * *

He had said it as a joke. Right? He _did_ say it as a joke, she was sure of it. But this didn't stop the thought running through her mind as to where he got the joke, was it just a stupid thing he pulled out of his head, or was it one of those stupid rumors the high and mighty tell each other about the less than mighty to amuse each other, or was it a real rumor?

She told herself that she was being stupid, of course it was just something he pulled out of his hat. It had to be, she decided as she walked into her next class, math. Quadratic equations, now this made sense, not like dividing cells or Gar's jokes. These, though tedious, were solid, the same, never changing. No matter how many different ways you solved a problem, as long as you always did it right, it always gave you the same answer, not like dividing cells or Gar's mind. She gave a sigh of relief.

* * *

The rest of the day dragged by slowly for Rachel. She had to suffer through forty long, long minutes of Heart of Darkness (6) in English, then she sat through forty more excruciatingly long minutes "learning" (again) the difference between saber and conocer in Spanish. She then sat through a documentary on the mummification techniques of the Ancient Egyptians, which was mildly interesting, until she fell asleep.

She was still a little groggy in lunch. The others were chatting about who they thought would break the first sewing machine in their class. They then went to Home Ec where Wally West, a horrifically hyper and bouncy kid, was the first to break a sewing machine, like Dick predicted (Vic had thought it would be Gar). Then Rachel headed to Art where they watched more of the movie RENT. When the bell rang, Rachel gave a sigh of relief, the day was finally over! Then she remembered what she had to do when she got home. Joy.

* * *

When she got home she immediately set about cleaning the mess her father and Nurse Nancy made in the living room, luckily just some beer cans and two bottles of Jack, she didn't know how she'd handle it of she found anything used for _that_. That would be disgusting.

After that, she ordered the dinner and other things that they would need that evening. She received a shock when she asked if the had any vegan dishes and the person on the other end of the line described the "Gar Special".

"Gar Special?" she asked.

"Yeah. It was named after the only person that orders it, a guy named Gar." he said.

"Oh. Well, I'll have one of those too."

"Do we have to rename it?"

"No, I'm ordering it for a guy named Gar, so you're good."

"Ok, then. Anything else?"

She finished ordering the rest of the things and told them to bill it to Roth Industries. The food would be arriving at quarter 'til six again. She now had two hours to get ready.

She headed up stairs to get her stuff in order. After that, she grabbed a shower. After she dried off, she paid particular attention to covering any remaining bruises. She then dried her hair and contemplated what to do with it.

After deciding to do her hair in a lose bun with wisps around her face, she did her facial makeup and got dressed, she went down stairs and prepared the plates and silverware and crystal. When the food and things arrived, she took them and prepared what she could to the best of her abilities.

Her father arrived as she was finishing. He checked over everything, making sure all was to the standard he set for the evening.

"Everything seems ok." he said.

"I've done this before." she said.

"I know, but if you screwed anything up, I swear, they won't find you when I get done. I helped bring you into this world, I can take you out just as quick." he threatened.

She waited until he left the room before rolling her eyes, she had heard that before. She followed her father into the front room where they waited for the Logans.

Just after six by the clock in the front room, they heard the door bell ring. They got up together and walked to the door. Rachel hung back a little as her father answered the door.

"Good evening, Mr. Logan, Mrs. Logan." her father said as they came through the door, "And I assume this is your son, Garfield."

"Yes, Mr. Roth, and good evening to you too. Rachel." Mr. Logan greeted in return.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Logan. Nice to meet you Mrs. Logan." Rachel greeted, "Hello, Gar." She looked him over, he really did clean up well. He was in a black suit with a white shirt and a black neck tie. He looked as though he had tried to tame his blonde locks with a brush and a bit too much gel, almost making his hair look like a blonde version of what Dick's must of looked like when he woke up, that is assuming his hair ever _did_ move.

"It's Garfield tonight." he said.

"Oh, sorry." she said.

"No worries." he said.

"Would you like to have a drink before dinner or would you like to have dinner now?" Rachel's father asked the Logans.

"Dinner sounds good." Mr. Logan said, "Don't want to drink on an empty stomach."

"Then may I escort you into the dinning room?" her father asked.

Mr. Logan and Gar each held an arm out to Rachel. Her father gave her a look and she linked arms with both as her father held his arm out to Mrs. Logan. He and Mrs. Logan lead the little party into the dinning room.

When they entered the dinning room, Rachel and her father left their guests to go into the kitchen to get the drinks and salad. They then went in and served everyone, then sat down.

The meal passed in light conversation, the heaviest bit being of what Logan Labs was researching, which Rachel didn't understand.

"I am just glad that Garfield has taken an aptitude towards the sciences." Mrs. Logan said, "I dare say that it will be the same for Rachel and any business classes she takes."

"I don't think so." Gar said, "Rachel's too much into English and stuff like that."

"Really?" Mr. Logan asked, "Than maybe you could help Garfield in that class. He's a true Logan and is utterly hopeless in that study."

"She'd be delighted to." Rachel's father spoke up.

The conversation then turned to the play the school was putting on.

"Are you involved in the play, Rachel?" Mrs. Logan asked.

"I'll be working with props and scenery." Rachel answered.

"And you, Garfield?" her father asked.

"I'm thinking about auditioning for the part of Mark." he responded.

"He's the one with the camera, right?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah." Gar answered, "Guess who Kori's wanting to audition for."

"Who?"

"Mimi." Gar said.

"Really?" Rachel asked, "But, she's nothing like Mimi."

"That's what I said when she told me. She said that she wanted to break the idea about her being totally innocent and stuff. Thinks this will help."

"Wow."

"And guess who Dick's planning on auditioning for."

"Hmmm, the part of Roger."

"Bingo."

"That means Kitten will be auditioning for Mimi, too."

"Yeah, I told Kori to watch out, you never know what Kitten will do to get her way. It wouldn't surprise me if she tried to destroy the city."

"Were you guys told about the meeting on Thursday?"

"Yeah. I'm going, you?"

"Yeah, with Jenny from my class."

"We should grab pizza or something afterwards."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

"I'll call Dick and Vic tonight."

"I'll call Kori. Is it ok if Jenny goes too?"

"I dunno. She and Vic almost had a thing a few years back."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'll clear it with him, then call you."

"Oh, ok."

"Not to interrupt, but if you two are done, we're going to move to the front room." Rachel's father said.

"We'll be discussing business though, so we completely understand if you don't want to join us." Mr. Logan said.

"Want to continue this in the living room?" Rachel asked Gar.

"Sure, lead the way." he replied.

As they walked in to the living room, Rachel saw Gar look around. She also looked at the "living room" where very little living was done. At least not since her mother died. The pictures of the family were hanging up on the reddish-brown walls above the paneling that covered the bottom half of the walls. They sat on the big stuffy couch that matched the red of the walls.

"So what do you want to do?" Gar asked.

"I don't know." Rachel said, though she really wanted to get a book, "You?"

"Got any video games?" he asked. Typical.

"No. Those things rot your brain and TV ruins your vision."

"Not true." he said.

"What?"

"While most video games are _not_ the most intellectually stimulating, some video games can be, _all_ increase hand-eye coordination, and increase motor skills in the hands, especially the fingers. Also, though little known, reading is just as bad for your vision as watching TV."

"_What_?"

"It's true. The different shapes of the letters repeatedly changing several times causes your eyes to focus and refocus so often that it really is bad for your eyes. I think it causes far sightedness or something."(7)

"You're joking."

"Nope." he said. He then lifted his right hand, "I swear."

"And you know this, why?" she asked.

"My parents and Vic's dad did some research on it a summer or two back. " he said, "And I'll give you three guesses who the two test subjects who got the most run time were and the first one doesn't count."

Rachel gave a "who knew" kind of huff slash chuckle thing, then sat down on the couch, "Wanna see what's on?" she asked.

"Sure." he said, taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch.

Rachel started flipping through channels, waiting for something to catch his or her interest.

* * *

Several minutes of channel flipping later, they settled on a sit-com re-run. True to form, Gar was laughing up a storm at a joke that Rachel found amusing that he was laughing at, they guy had just done something that she could see Gar doing. This caused a slight smirk on her face.

"Are you smiling?" she heard Gar ask her.

"What?" she asked, the small semi-smile quickly removed itself from her face.

"You were!" he exclaimed, "Man! First I see you in a dress, then you smile! What's next? You gonna tell me your favorite color is pink?"

"No." she said. He looked as though he was about to open his mouth to say something when Mrs. Logan came in the door way.

"Garfield, we're leaving now. Say good bye to your friend."

"Bye, Rachel." he said, both looking nonplussed at Gar's mother. She seemed off and almost stiff, like she was mad. They exchanged looks, but neither knew what was going on.

"See you tomorrow in school, Garfield." she said. She then turned to Mrs. Logan, "Nice to have met you, ma'am." she said.

"You too, Rachel." was all she said before bodily ushering Gar out of the room. Rachel got up and followed them out.

When Rachel got to the hallway, however, she saw her father and Mr. Logan looking daggers at each other. Something had gone wrong during the meeting. Fantastic.

"Good evening, Mr. Roth." Mr. Logan said very tersely, "Rachel." he nodded in her direction, a little less so.

"Nice seeing you again, Mr. Logan." Rachel said, also nodding her head, what the hell happened in there?

"Marie, Garfield, we're leaving. Now," he said, wrenching the door open and hurrying his family through. Garfield looked at Rachel, gave a shrug and left.

After the door was shut, her father went into the family room, poured himself a large drink and went to the window, Rachel went to another window and saw the Logans piling into their car.

"What happened?" she asked her father.

"Not now." he said. She could hear his anger and this scared her. She went to slide up to her room, put he stopped her, "Not on more move."

She stood there, rooted to the spot with fear at what she knew was coming, She looked out the window and saw the Logan's pull out of the driveway, along with any remaining safety she had. She faced her father just in time to see his fist raise.

* * *

NOTES:

1) He cleared his throat, I didn't know how to spell it so I guessed.

2) Shoot me now. Go ahead, I give you permission. Wait, gimme five minutes to gag myself first, then go ahead. I just felt the need to put a little father/daughter moment there. No, I don't know why, I just felt it was needed.

3) Yeah, no offense to anyone who is like that, I am too. I just thought that with Raven/Rachel not really getting into anything, that someone showing that much enthusiasm would make her shudder. I dunno.

4) Ok, this is going to be based off the movie, I know that the movie was based off the play, but I haven't seen the play, but I have seen the movie. Yeah, sorry bout that. Oh, and I don't own the play, the movie or the characters there in associated with RENT.

5) Yeah, I know that a month seems like a bit much for most normal libraries, most back in the area I used to live in only let you have it for two weeks, but the area I live in now lets you keep stuff for a month.

6) That is an EVIL, EVIL book, which I thankfully don't own, I'd have to drown myself in that stupid river if I did. Shivers

7) It's true too, reading is bad for your eyes, who knew? But I have to say this, I read the most out of _anyone_ in my family, and I have the best eyesight, go figure. I'm not sure if it causes far sightedness or nearsightedness or something else, but for some reason, my mind wants to tell me its far sightedness, so that's why I put it there. Please don't flame me if its wrong, yes, I know I should check that, but as I have a butt-load of tests coming up soon, I don't really have time (this is an illegal study break- my brain was melting.)

Yeah, so an extra long post, just because I didn't realize how much longer I had to go until I got to the dinner with the Roth's and the Logan's. I hope it was ok and to your liking! Uh, yeah, probably no post for 2 or 3 days and if I don't get one in before 4:00 on Wednesday, don't count on one until like, Sunday, family is coming to visit: so I'm going to be forbidden from getting on. :'C So yeah, another reason this is so long….to tide you over, cuz I know you just can't go with out this story, huh? (note my _awesome_ use of sarcasm there!)

But 'til next time, please review! Seriously, last time I read your reviews, I wrote **_thirty_** pages! I was up all night! I got like two hours of sleep! So please review! Thanks:D


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. If I did, I SO would not allow this to go off the air. :

* * *

Rachel had to skip school the next day as she was too weak and sore from the previous night. She lay in bed as she heard her father go about, packing for his trip. She curled tighter into a ball, though slowly so as to avoid sending pain shooting through her body. She still had no idea what went wrong last night, but knew that Logan Labs were probably looking for a new supply company.

Her door opened and her father came in. She did her best to cover the fact that she was still in a lot of pain and sat up. "I called you off school for today." he said shortly.

Rachel bit back the "kinda figured" that was dying to get out of her mouth and instead said, "Thank you."

"You are to go to school tomorrow though, and Friday." he said. She nodded. "I will be returning on Sunday. No one is to come here. You will keep this house spotless. The bitch's pictures are to be taken down." he paused, a look on his face that said he was thinking if there was anything else. "Slade may or may not come over to check on things." he added.

"Anything else?" she asked.

"If the Logan boy asks, Slade is staying with you." he father said,

"What?"

"If the Logan boy asks, Slade is staying here to keep an eye on you." he father repeated, "The last thing I need right now is a scandal or charges of neglect." She now knew the source of the argument, her. No wonder last night was so bad.

"Oh, ok." she said.

Her father looked about for something to say. A strange look passed over his face, it almost resembled, concern, "Will you, uh, be alright?" he asked, "I was a bit, rough last night."

She was so taken aback that she didn't immediately answer. She eventually got out a "Yeah." though and wondered what brought on this bit of actual fatherly feelings from him.

"Good." he said, "I did a number on you and I don't think we could pass it off as you falling down the stairs this time. Neglect the company can handle, a lot of dads could give a rat's ass about their kids, but abuse would ruin the company and me." he said. Oh, he only wanted to make sure this didn't get out.

"I'm leaving now." he said.

"Can I have some money?" she asked,

"What?"

"May I have some money? For incase my friends want to do something?" she asked.

"And why should I give you money? You cost me a lot of business last night."

"Well, if the Logans see that I am fine and that it's life as usual here, with Slade here that is, maybe they'll come back." she said.

"That is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard." he said.

"But may I have some money?" she asked, He grunted.

"Your persistent." he said, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet, "Here. Maybe this will shut you up." he said, throwing some cash on her desk. "Now I have to go or I'll miss my flight." With that, he left.

* * *

After Rachel heard him shut the front door, she slowly got out of her bed and walked to the bathroom. She started running a bath then went and got her candles, She placed the "ocean" scented candles around the tub, then lit them. She put some bath fizz that would help her sore muscles, then striped and climbed in the tub. She let the hot water surround her body and envelope her in its soothing, relieving way. She just lay there allowing her body to absorb the heat and her muscles to relax. The water had cooled considerably when she got out and drained the tub, before stepping back in to take a shower.

After she got out of the shower and dressed in a pair of sweats and a tee-shirt, she walked down to the kitchen. She received a shock when she walked in and saw someone standing there.

"Hello, Rachel." the figure of Slade said.

"Slade." she said, turning from him and going about making herself some green tea.

"My, you did make a mess of things last night, didn't you?" he told her back.

"I don't know what you're talking about." she said coolly.

"Didn't your father tell you?" Slade asked, "I thought you knew everything about him and his business." he teased, clearly enjoying this a bit more than reason gave, "Well, since you are in the dark, how about I enlighten you?"

"You're going to whether I want you too or not, so go ahead." she said as she grabbed a honey stir stick for her tea, waiting for the water to heat up.

"Apparently, your father mentioned that he was going on this business trip and they asked who you were staying with. He said that you were a big girl and that you were perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. He then said that you got that from the bitch. This is what set the Logans off like that, they said something along the lines of family first and your father laughed and said that his business was the most important thing in this house, and that you knew to agree because he couldn't afford your ass if it weren't for the business."

"That's nice." she said as though she didn't care, which she guessed she really didn't.

"Well, that made your father make me come here, so it's your fault I'm here."

"No ones making you stay." she said.

"No, but I'm hungry." he said, "Make me something."

"Make it yourself, at your own house." she said shortly, walking out of the kitchen, her cup of tea in hand. "And get out of my house."

* * *

Rachel thought she would've rather stayed home the next day, but knew she had to get up. She did allow herself to sleep a few extra minutes, planning on skipping breakfast. When she did get up, she hurried though her normal morning routine, then headed to the bus stop. When she got there, she saw Kori waiting for her.

"Friend, I am so glad to see you are feeling better!" Kori exclaimed, "Please, what kept you home yesterday?"

"I just didn't feel very well yesterday." Rachel said.

"Well, it is good to see you." Kori said, "Gar told us of the dinner your family had with his. I am most sorry about the argument, and I sincerely hope that it will not cause you and Gar to no longer be friends."

Rachel hadn't thought about that. She didn't see where a bad business meeting could do that, "I don't think it will, Kori, why do you ask?"

"In my home country, it is customary that the children of rival businesses to dislike each other in the fiercest way." Kori said sadly, "I was very afraid that it was so in this country too."

Rachel gave a small, silent chuckle, "No." she assured her friend, "If that was so, then Dick and I couldn't be friends. Or Vic and I or Gar and Dick or Vic." she said, thinking where the hell that bit of randomness came from.

"I am most relieved." Kori said, much happier.

"Oh, did Gar happen to tell you that we're going for pizza after the meeting tonight?"

"He did."

"Good. I'm sorry I didn't call you, but it kinda hit while we were cleaning up after they left."

"Do not be worried."

"So I heard that you're going to audition for the part of Mimi."

* * *

That morning, in biology, the teacher worked them to the bell and then a little after, so that they had to hurry out of the room after they were done and no one could talk, though Gar was trying to talk to Rachel. She didn't have another class with him the rest of the morning, and so didn't see him until lunch.

"You ok, Rea?" he asked what he had meant to all morning.

"Its Rachel and, yes, why wouldn't I be?" she asked in return.

"Well you weren't here yesterday." he stated.

"Yeah, girl, where were you?" Vic asked as he sat down.

"I was sick." she said, remembering one of the reasons she was cool with not having friends, she didn't have to answer to anyone.

"Oh," Gar said, "Is that Slade guy there?" Gar asked.

"Yeah." she said.

"Slade?" Dick asked, "Slade Wilson?"

"Yeah, you know him?" Rachel asked.

"Unfortunately." Dick said, "He's an evil man."

"I know he's not the nicest man, but _evil_?" Rachel asked, though she agreed.

"He used to be affiliated with Wayne Corporations." Dick said (1), "That was until he was caught embezzling and had several harassment charges brought up against him."

"I dunno." Rachel said, "My father says he really knows his stuff."

"Just watch out for him." Dick said with, was that hatred in his voice?

"You guys still up for pizza after the meeting tonight?" Vic asked, trying to get the subject off the rocky grounds that it was on.

"Yeah." Gar said, "You guys?"

"I am looking forward to it." Kori said.

"I'm in." Dick said, seeming to pull out of his ruminations of the evil Slade at the voice of the red head and becoming very interested in her.

"Is it cool if Jenny goes?" Rachel asked Vic.

"Yeah." Vic said, "I'm sorry Gar got all worked up about that." he added, looking at Gar, "That was long ago and we're both past it."

"Cool, I'll see if she wants to go during art." Rachel said as she lifted her apple to take a bite. At this point in time, however, a rather unpleasant group of people came up to their table.

"Why, hello, sister dear." Mandy's voice came from behind Rachel.

"Hi, Richard!" came the voice of Kitten Moth. Rachel grimaced at the voice that sounded like nails being dragged over a chalkboard.

"Mandy. Kitten." Kori greeted, the others glared at the two who had been causing their friend so much trouble.

"I _said_, _hello, Richard_." Kitten repeated to Dick's back when he refused to turn to look at the two or acknowledge her.

"What do you want?" Rachel asked them, acid in her voice.

"Why are you so grumpy? Daddy keep you up late last night?" Mandy asked, her voice overly sweet. She reached to put her hand on Rachel's arm, but Rachel batted away, "My, aren't we jumpy?"

"What do you want?" Vic asked, his usually pleasant voice replaced by one that made Rachel glad he wasn't mad at her.

"I just wanted to say hi to my sister, is that a crime now?" Mandy asked.

"Well you said it, now go away." Gar said, his expression also making Rachel glad he wasn't mad at her.

"We're allowed to stay and talk." Kitten said, taking her eyes off of Dick's back for the first time.

"No." Dick said, "No, you're not. Now leave."

"But, Richard…" Kitten said, Rachel wasn't sure if the hurt in her voice was genuine or faked.

"I said, leave." he said a little more forcefully.

"Well then let me get to the real reason I was here." Mandy said to his back, then turned to her sister, "Give me some money." (2)

"I am sorry, sister, but I do not have any." Kori said.

"Ha ha." Mandy play laughed, "Now enough of the games, little sister, and give me some money."

"I am not playing a game with you." Kori insisted, "I do not have any money, I am receiving it after school from uncle."

"I want some money." Mandy demanded.

"Here." Rachel said and reached into her pocket and withdrew a five, "Now, you got what you wanted, now leave!"

"It's good to see that _somebody_ appreciates their betters." Mandy said as she shoved the money in her pocket.

"Excuse me?" Rachel said, standing up, "Our 'betters'? Surely you didn't mean yourselves?"

"Rachel-" Kori tried to cut in.

"We're done here." Mandy said as she and Kitten left.

"I am most sorry for that." Kori said to the group, "And I will repay you the money, Rachel."

"No need." Rachel said, sitting back down, still seething.

"Whoa, Rea." Gar said, his eyes bigger that usual, "Remind me never to piss you off."

"Then don't call me Rea, Gar-" she started but was cut off from finishing his given name when he said,

"Duly noted." he said, raising his hands.

* * *

That day in art was one of the last in a while that they would be able to work on some thing other than stuff for the play. Today, they were working on still lives. Rachel started at the pile of stuff they were to chose from for their project when Jenny came up next to her.

"I finished _Wicked_." she said, "I brought it yesterday, but you weren't here."

"Yeah, I was sick."

"Kind of figured. But I left it in my locker, so I'll give it to you in the meeting."

"Ok." Rachel said as she picked up an old, empty wine bottle. She then noticed that she and Jenny were the only ones up there, "Why isn't anyone else getting their stuff?"

"We started this yesterday."

"Oh." She said as she picked up an equally old ceramic bowl, "Hey, Jenny, a group of us are going for pizza after the meeting, want to go?"

"Who's all going?"

"Well, me, Kori Anders, Dick Grayson, Gar Logan and Vic Stone." she said, saving Vic for last because while Vic may have been over it, Jenny might not have been.

"Sounds good." Jenny said as she started to head back to her desk to work on her still life. Rachel selected a plastic apple from the pile and went back to her desk, having her three things.

She fiddled with them on her desk, standing back to admire the effect of shadows and lighting, then rearranging them until she got what she was looking for.

"Have you got it, Rachel?" he teacher asked, coming up to her desk with a Polaroid camera.

"I think so." she answered him.

"Ok, then I'm going to take a picture so that you'll always have this lighting. You won't get it twice in nature." he said as she lifted the camera to his eye. A click and a flash later, the picture was being spit out and he took it and handed it to her. She set it down on the corner of her desk and got her pencil, big mistake eraser and drawing pad ready. She looked at the picture and saw that it was still coming clear and had a decidedly brown look to it. She then set about her project using the real still subject in front of her to get the outline.

Rachel took her time about her project. There was no use rushing, it just gave the work a rushed feel. This project wasn't about rushing, it was about time being halted. She let the pencil lay loosely in her hand as she glided it along the paper. She was so entranced in the project, that the bell signaling the end of the class, and thus the day, rang, that she jumped and left a big streak with her pencil across her work. She grumbled as she listened to the announcements.,

* * *

After the announcements were over and she had put her things back in her drawer and locked it, she grabbed her bag and stood up. Jenny was waiting for her and they left the Art room together. They went to their lockers, discussing what was going to happen at this meeting.

"They're probably give us a ton of stuff that we'll have to make and do." Rachel said.

"I agree." Jenny said, "And it's going to be hard, like we have to make a real running car for that scene in the beginning where Benny is introduced."

The conversation was temporarily put on hold as they went to their lockers.

"And knowing my luck they'll want to discuss the advanced classes' play first." Rachel said after they joined back up in the stairwell.

"My luck too." Jenny sad, "Where are we going again?"

"The auditorium." Rachel answered.

The spent the rest of the five minute walk to the auditorium talking about all the out-there stuff that the drama department would impose on them.

When they entered the auditorium, Lindy came rushing up to them, "Good, you guys are here. There's only one other person from the first art class. Neither of you happen to know sign language by the way, do you?"

"Uh, no." Jenny said, looking at Rachel who also shook her head.

"Damn, Because the other kid, a guy named Jericho, is mute, can't talk."

"We know what mute means." Rachel said.

"Oh, well he can understand us, but we have no way to understand him." she said.

"Well, how does he communicate in class?" Jenny asked.

At this point in time, a boy with shaggy blonde hair and deep blue eyes came up to them with a note pad and pencil, writing something. When he was done, he held it up for them to read. "I write it down." it said.

"Oh." Lindy said, "Well that solves that. Oh, and Jericho, this is…" she looked at her list, "Rachel Roth and Jenny….. I don't know how to pronounce that."

"It's not important." Jenny said, "I take it you are Jericho?" she asked the blonde.

He wrote something on his pad, then held it up for them to read, "Jericho Wilson, at your service." it read.

"Wilson?" asked Rachel, "Any relation to a Slade Wilson?"

He wrote something, "By blood only." the look on his face communicating his dislike of this.

"I don't blame you, I wouldn't like to think that he was related to me in any way."

"Well, I have some good news for you three." Lindy said with the air of a weather man about to tell a group of kids they had a snow day, "Since you three are spending an afternoon of your life here at this meeting, you'll get to leave school on 'fieldtrips' to go get the stuff we're going to need." she said while handing each of them a permission form, "Just have your parents sign that. And bring it in when you can."

* * *

The meeting was to start in five minutes as they took their seats next to Kori, Dick and Gar. Rachel introduced Jenny and Jericho to everyone there and they had small talk until Vic came in wearing a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt.

"I can only stay for a little while, I got to lift weights with the team tonight." he said.

"Will you still be able to go for pizza?" Gar asked.

"Oh, yeah." Vic said, "I'll probably be done before you guys." he said.

"That's comforting." Rachel said.

"Hey, when is your first game anyway?" Dick asked Vic.

"Next week." Vic said, that's why I have to lift. Otherwise I would've gotten off because this is mandatory for my audio/visual class."

"We should go!" Kori said to the group.

"Yeah." Gar said.

"No offense, Vic, but I don't do school spirit or sports." Rachel said.

"You must go, Rachel!" Kori pleaded, "To cheer on Vic!"

""Yeah, Rachel, you gotta cheer on your friend!" Gar said.

"Fine, I'll go." she said.

* * *

The meeting started with the "head student" of the drama department getting up to first thank everyone for coming and that they hoped that this year would be as successful as the last. "We have some really good people on the various teams and some very promising new people." he said. He was a tall boy, older than them, probably a senior Rachel thought, and very good looking with dark hair and equally dark eyes (3).

"Isn't he on the swim team?" Rachel heard Dick ask Gar, who was on the swim team.

"Yeah, he's the captain, Garth." Gar answered.

Garth continued, "This year the first class will be doing a rendition of RENT. ('How many times is that going to be brought up?' Rachel silently asked herself.) And the advanced class will be writing their own as usual." He then went on to discuss everything the drama department hoped to do with the first class play. Lindy was all bright-eyed and jotting everything down. They then discussed what the lighting and sound department would need to do, after which Vic left to go to practice. "We'll now divide into departments and such and discuss this further."

"Looks like Vic wasn't lying when he said that we'd be here a while." Gar said as they stood up.

Rachel and Jenny followed Jericho to where Lindy was waiting for them.

* * *

All said and done, they had their work cut out for them. They had to make a way for people to see into Roger and Mark's apartment while seeing into the street and their balcony, they needed a room in Mimi's apartment, they needed an auditorium for the Life Support meeting, they needed a church, a Santa Fe, a roof over Roger and Mark's apartment, a club or bar, a "Tent City" and possibly a subway station if they could manage it. Needless to say, they had their hands full.

"Any ideas?" Lindy asked them as they joined her and two other students, no doubt form the advanced class.

"Well, we could use those things that painters use to paint high parts of walls and stuff." one of the others said.

"That's an idea." Lindy said, she obviously wasn't pleased with the drama departments requirements of the them.

"All we need for the church is a backdrop and some pews and a coffin." Jenny said.

"And where are we going to get one of those?" Lindy asked.

"My father runs a Funeral Home." Jenny said, "I'm sure he can loan us one."

"Oh." Lindy said, "Well that solves that. Get back to me when you find out."

"The auditorium can be a backdrop with a circle of chairs." the other older student said.

"Actually, I think that scene would be more moving if there's nothing in the background." Rachel said.

"What do you mean?" Lindy asked.

"Well, you know how in the beginning of the movie there's just the cast singing in front of an empty stage?" she started, the others nodded, "Well, I was thinking that we should do something like that, only with five chairs in a circle or semi-circle. This way here the audience isn't looking at the scenery, but at the actors and all attention is on them."

"That's an idea." Lindy said, furrowing her brow in thought, "Hey, Garth!"

Garth came over and asked what they wanted.

"Rachel here had an idea about the Life Support scenes." Lindy said. Garth listened as Rachel gave her idea and the reasoning behind it. Garth thought about it and approved it, then headed back to where he was.

"Ok then, on to the next order of business." Lindy said (4).

* * *

Vic was right about him being done before they were. He was waiting outside the door when they came out.

"Why didn't you come in?" Dick asked him.

"That Mikron dude was there, you know, the one that calls himself 'Gizmo'." Vic said, "I can't stand him."

Jenny gave a small chuckle, "You know you two used to be close."

"Key word, _used_ to be." he said, "And that doesn't mean that I didn't find him annoying."

"Things sure have changed, haven't they?" Gar said.

"What do you mean?" Dick asked.

"Back then, Vic and Jenny were close with Mikron and Manny, but Rachel and Jenny couldn't stand each other."

"I remember that." Jenny said, smiling at the memory, "We were stupid then weren't we?"

"You called me a witch." Rachel said, also remembering.

"Among other things, I assure you." Jenny teased.

"I am glad that you have stopped fighting." Kori said, "Please, what brought about this happy change of heart?"

"The argument just died." Rachel said, "One day, we just stopped fighting."

"Then we became friends in art class and at the library." Jenny finished.

"Sounds like a porno plot." Gar said. Both Rachel and Jenny hit him, "_Ow_!" he rubbed his arms, "But now you guys are friends and Vic can't stand Mikron or Manny."

"Can't say that I blame you." Jenny said in honesty, "They're cool if your in with them, but the moment you think twice about some of the stuff they wanna do, they'll turn on you."

This lead into an awkward silence. "So," said Gar when it got to much for him to handle, "Let's go for that pizza. I'm starved."

* * *

"What are we going to get on it?" Rachel asked, immediately regretting it.

"All Meat Experience!"

"No way I'm eating meat!"

"I want mushrooms and olives!"

"Pepperoni!"

"I wish to have the bananas and mint frosting." All arguments stopped and everyone looked at Kori, "What? Have I said something wrong?" (5)

"Have you ever had pizza before?" Dick asked her.

"No." Kori said in earnest, "My country does not know of this delight."

"Well, _those_ aren't very good on pizza." Gar said.

"But they are here, on the menu." Kori said, pointing to them.

"That's the dessert section for toppings on ice cream." Rachel said.

"Oh, I apologize." Kori said, blushing furiously.

"Never mind it." Dick said, giving her a comforting pat on the back.

"That still doesn't solve our topping problem." Jenny said.

"How about we get personal pizzas?" Rachel asked. To this, everyone agreed.

Five minutes later, an African-American girl about their age with her hair in two puffy pig tails came up to them to take their order, "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Hey, Bee!" Vic said.

"Hey, Sparky!" she returned, "How you been?"

"I'm good." he said, "I haven't seen you around lately. How you been?"

"I've been working that's why." she said, "But I've been good."

"I thought this was to be a summer job." he asked in a statement.

"It was." she assented, "But then a girl, who was pregnant, had her kid, and there was complications, so they're short handed here, so I said I'd stay on 'til she can come back."

"I hope she gets better soon." Gar said, honest compassion in his voice.

"We all do." the girl addressed as Bee said. Rachel knew "Bee" of course. Her name was Karen Beecher, she was in the same grade as Rachel, Kori, Gar and Jenny (6). She was in Rachel's English class. She preferred to be called "Bee" for Beecher, instead of "Karen" because it was "a name for the last generation."

"Rachel, what do you want?" Jenny interrupted her rumination.

"Oh, uh, pepperoni personal, please. And a root beer." she said.

"Ok, who are you and what have you done with Rachel?" Gar asked, pointing an accusing finger in her face.

"What do you mean?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, acting not to care about the forefinger inches away from her face, but wanting desperately to swat at it.

"Rachel would never order a root beer!" he said, thankfully lowering his finger.

"Tea doesn't go to well with pizza and I feel like something carbonated." she said. Though root beer was what her mother always drank with pizza, she didn't voice this.

* * *

They were done with their pizza and had been talking for a while now. It was getting late and they needed to be getting home.

"Well, I need to be heading home." Jenny said, "It's been fun."

"Hey, Bee!" Vic called out, "You done working?"

"In about ten, why?" came the response.

"I'll walk you home." he said.

"Ok, just lemme call my mom and tell her she doesn't have to pick me up."

"Gotcha."

"You still up to going to my house for English tutoring, Kori?" Dick asked the red-head.

"Most certainly." Kori said.

"I wonder how much 'tutoring' they'll get done." Vic whispered into Rachel's ear. Rachel stifled a giggle.

"Well, it's been fun, but I gotta go." Vic said as he stood up. Jenny, Dick and Kori had already left and his departure left only Rachel and Gar at the table, the latter looking like he was building the courage to do something he'd rather not do.

"Rea, can I talk to you?" he asked as Rachel stood up.

"What about?" she asked. He also stood up.

"Not here." he said, "Someone," he nodded in Vic's direction, "could hear."

She said ok, and followed him out of the pizza shop. He still had the features of someone steeling themselves for something unpleasant.

When they got about a block away from the pizza shop, in a direction that didn't lead to either of their houses, she lost her patience. "What is it, Gar."

"What's your home life like?" he asked really fast. So fast, in fact, that she almost didn't catch it.

"Why do you ask that?" she asked, trying to hide the fear in her from this simple question.

"Just little things at that dinner thing last Tuesday. Then when my father told me what happened between him and your father." he said, "Then you weren't at school yesterday."

"I told you I was sick." she said.

"And is your father still at home?" he asked.

"No. He had an important business meeting. He got Slade to come over." she said, " I wasn't all that sick, just enough to stay home."

"Rea- Rachel, you can tell me if there's anything wrong." he said, lifting his hand to place it on her arm. She gave an involuntary wince when his hand landed on a particularly nasty bruise. He immediately removed his hand, "Rachel? What is it?"

"It's nothing." she said, "I fell the other day."

"Rachel-" he began.

"It's nothing, "she interrupted, "I was going to the bathroom in a hurry because I thought I was going to throw up, and I slipped on a towel that I had left on the floor. It was my own fault."

"Rachel-" he began, this time unable to continue. "Did your father-"

"It's nothing!" she yelled. She regained her composure, taking deep breaths, "I'm sorry. It's nothing," she said at a lower volume.

"Then can I walk you home?" he asked.

"No." she said, a little too quickly. "I'll be fine. Good night, Gar." she said. She then turned away from him and started walking. She didn't know where she was heading, but as long as she got away from Gar and his questions, she didn't care where she was going.

She was so intent on getting away from Gar that she didn't look back to see his hurt and concerned face, or hear him say "I just don't want you to be hurt, Rea, I care."

* * *

NOTES:

1) I had to have the Robin/Dick hates Slade thing in there somehow, this just seemed to make the most sense to me.

2) Yes, stereotypical, I know, but I thought it worked.

3) Yeah, I always pictured Aqualad as being older than the others, Speedy too, so they are in this.

4) OK, so, yeah. I have no idea if any of the stuff I have for scenery would work, but it's all I could think of. I mean, I' from a small school and the class putting on the play were responsible for everything. But I thought that maybe in a big school, this is how it might work and I had fun with it. Sorry if it makes no sense, but there you go. Plus, in the big schools near where we were always had great scenery and props and stuff. So I just went with what the voices in my head told me, so if it doesn't make sense, blame them!

5) Ok, so its not original, or completely plausible with out Kori being an alien, but I think I work around it and explain it fully, and it's one of those things where its not a Teen Titans fan fic if its not there, like the tofu/meat fight between Gar and Vic, it just _has_ to be there.

6) Yeah, I don't think I ever fully explained the grades and what not, so Rachel is a Sophomore with Kori, Gar, Jenny, Wally, Mikron and Bee. Malchoir, Dick, Vic, Mandy, Kitten, and Manny (Mammoth) are Juniors, and Garth and Roy (the as of yet unintroduced Speedy) are Seniors. Oh, and I also have her and Vic as neighbors. I dunno why, I just do.

Yeah, so. What do you think? Lemme know. I finished writing this, now I just gotta go through and fix it up and what not. But I'm reasonably proud of this fic! I feel it is my personal best, not that that's saying much, but, eh.

Um, everyone was hyped about the meeting, and I think I might have made it anticlimactic, so sorry 'bout that, but what happened after made up for it right? Oh, and shout out to Shade Spitfire for that idea. Thanks a billion. And how 'bout the VicxBee flirting at the end of the pizza thing? See, I read my reviews and try to give you what you want. Can't always though, sorry, this will be a ReaXGar fic (ReaxBB all the way:D :D :D ) but can't please them all, sorry.

So, lemme know? And last update till after Saturday, sorry. :'(


	6. Chapter 6

First off, I want to beg forgiveness for the delay! PLEASE forgive me! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! (told you I was begging) But it wasn't my fault! (pouts) First off, my grandparents came and I'm forbidden from the computer for the weekend, then my ever-so-computer-savvy mother decides to free up some memory and goes delete crazy and we have to wait three days for my uncle to come over and take five minutes to fix it - divine spirits bless the recovery option- then I get grounded for two weeks for being late for curfew. So, I guess the being grounded kinda was my fault- or it was the fault of my extreme lack of ability to judge travel time- but the first stuff wasn't! So with out further ado- I don't own them.

* * *

The next morning in Biology was a little tense. Gar was obviously afraid that Rachel was mad at him. She wasn't in all actuality, she was mad at her self, mad that she gave off signals that he could pick up on. But he wasn't asking anymore questions, so she didn't mind so much.

That day in lunch, the others noticed the slight frostiness between them.

"Is everything ok?" Dick asked.

"Yeah, you two seem a bit quieter than normal." Vic said.

"It's nothing." Rachel said.

"Is everything 'nothing'?" Gar asked her.

"No Gar, not everything is nothing. Just things that people read to much into." she bit back, "Or things that are none of their business."

"Well, excuse me for trying to be a good friend!" he said at a higher pitch than his normal voice.

"Did it ever dawn on you that a good friend would've let it drop?" she asked, her voice dangerously low.

"Did we miss something?" Vic asked the two.

"Yes!" Gar said at exactly the same time Rachel said "No!"

"Rea, you know if anything is wrong-" Gar began.

"You want to know what is wrong?" she asked. He nodded, "Then I'll tell you what is wrong. You won't let it drop, that's what's wrong!" she then stood up and left, storming from the cafeteria.

* * *

Home Ec was a little quieter than usual that day. Both Rachel and Gar worked in silence. The others just kept looking back and forth between them, wanting to know what was going on between the two, but not wanting to make matters worse. Rachel could feel their alternating gaze and the frost coming off Gar, but she ignored it as she pinned the sewing pattern on to the dark blue material. She was going to make a hooded cloak like she always read about in her fantasy books (1). She had the perfect broche to hold it together, a ruby incased in a gold setting. It had been her mother's but she had given it to Rachel shortly before she left.

Rachel was very glad when the bell rang, signaling the end of class. She quickly cleaned up her stuff, shoving it in a plastic bag and storing it in the closet, told Kori that she wouldn't be on the bus, then darted to her Art Class.

When she got there, she went to her desk and waited for the teacher to say what they would be doing. Jenny came up to her.

"You ok?" she asked, "I saw Wally in the halls and he said that you were acting strange in Home Ec."

"I'm fine." Rachel lied, "Just had a bit of an argument with Gar is all." Rachel said.

"Doesn't surprise me." Jenny said, "To much sexual tension there for you two not to argue."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Rachel asked.

"Oh, please." Jenny said, "There's clear tension there. You both want to jump each other. Personally I think you should just do it and get it over with." she shrugged.

"There is _no_ tension of any kind of attraction between Gar and I!" Rachel said vehemently, "We just had an argument."

"Sure." Jenny said, clearly not convinced, "Just make sure that when you do do it, use protection. Don't want an accident. Especially with his genes."

"And what's wrong with his genes?" Rachel asked before she could stop herself, immediately slapping her hands to her mouth. Jenny gave her a knowing look.

Rachel couldn't pay attention when the teacher explained the large amount of work they had to do for the play. She was too busy asking herself if she really did feel _that way_ toward Gar.

* * *

Rachel took her time going home. She was lost in thought and her brain went on auto-pilot. While she usually did this, it always slowed her pace. Plus, she didn't really feel like seeing Slade.

When she got home, she didn't see Slade, however. Who she did see was the last person she expected, Kori (2).

"Rachel!" Kori exclaimed when she came into view.

"Kori?" Rachel asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I was most worried about you." Kori said, "We all were."

"Well, don't be." Rachel said as she unlocked the front door, "You want to come in? I'm technically not supposed to have people here, but Slade won't get here for a few hours, so I guess a few minutes won't hurt."

"Thank you." Kori said.

They walked into the kitchen and Rachel held open the fridge. She was fine with Kori being here now because she knew that Kori wouldn't see anything. She offered Kori her choice of water, root beer, cherry kool-aide, tea or coffee (3). Kori took a water and Rachel poured herself a glass of kool-aide. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Are you ok, Rachel?" Kori asked, "Gar would not tell us the nature of your dispute with him, but he seemed very worried."

_Flashback_

_"Gar, what was that about?" Dick asked when he, Gar and Kori entered the auditorium._

_"I'm just worried about Rachel." Gar said._

_"What has caused this worry for our friend?" Kori asked._

_"Just something that I noticed when my family ate with her and her dad." Gar said, "I dunno."_

_"What did you notice?" Dick asked, "Something about Slade?"_

_"What? No." Gar said, "Nothing about him."_

_"Is it about the rumors about her treatment at home?" Kori asked,_

_"I don't want to talk about it any more," he said. _

_Kori and Dick were prevented from pushing the matter further by the teacher calling their attention._

_End Flashback_

"Really?" asked Rachel who had, in all honesty, thought that Gar would tell them everything.

"Yes."

"Tell him thanks. I don't want what he said to get around." she said, "That's the last thing I need."

"Please, Rachel, what did he say?" Kori implored.

"No, Kori. It was nothing. Now I think you should go home before Slade gets here."

"I thought that you said he was not due for some hours."

"You never really know." Rachel said.

* * *

Sunday came along with Rachel's father. He just got drunk and kicked Rachel out of the house so that Nurse Nancy could come over. She went to the library, part of her wondering if Jenny would be there. She walked around the library once, not seeing Jenny any where. She then picked a book, she had left _Wicked_ at her house, and sat in a small, secluded spot.

The next person there was probably _the last_ person she would ever expect to find in the _public_ library, Dick (4). Well, one of the last, anyway. She had had her back to him and was so engrossed in her book, a book on ancient Greek mythology, that she didn't notice him until he put a hand on her shoulder. She jumped at his touch, making him have to stifle chuckles.

"Don't do that!" she loudly whispered, grabbing at her beating heart.

"Sorry," he quietly spoke, "I couldn't resist."

"What are you dong here?" she asked.

"Looking for you." was the answer. An answer that puzzled her.

"What?" she asked.

"I need to talk to you about yours and Gar's fight." he said plainly.

"What about it?" she asked, trying to remain cool, but feeling her heart regain its fast pace.

"I know what it was about." he said plainly, yet codedly (5).

"You do?" she asked, unconcerned enough, still trying to feign being calm.

"Yes." he said, gravely, "And I want to know if its true."

"If what true." taking a stab at ignorance, 'It helps stupid people all the time, maybe it can help me.' she thought.

"About your father." he said, 'No such luck.'

"No." she calmly said, perfect timing, perfect tone of voice.

"Then why are you here and not at home?" Dick asked, 'Damn, he's as persistent as Gar.'

"I wanted to come." she said, maybe a little too defensively, "Is that a crime now?"

"No. But prostitution is." he said (6).

"Oh, yeah." she said, "I'm a prostitute who's working the _library_." she snapped.

"Tell me, how often does Nurse Nancy come around?" he asked. 'Damn.' He had been to her house, stupid Rachel, she should have known, how else would he have known to look here?

"So my father gets a prostitute?" she tried defending, "He's an adult. He's lonely ever since my mom left. He has needs." she gave a mental shudder at the thought, but felt it necessary to say.

"Bruce is a lonely adult with needs, but he doesn't get a prostitute or kick me out of the house." Dick said plainly.

"And Bruce is god!" she sarcastically exclaimed, "Your point?"

"He is no god, believe me, but he does care." Dick said, then, looking her in the eyes, added "As do I."

"Well, your caring for the wrong person right now." she said, "There's nothing wrong. I wish everyone would stop trying to ask me if there is! I just want it to stop!" she said, forcefully putting her book down on the table, standing up and leaving him there.

* * *

She knew her father and Nurse Nancy wouldn't be "done", especially if Dick had been there asking after her. Great, that would cause problems. She walked to the park to blow some time. It was still summer, though it was relatively late summer, so it wasn't all that dark out yet. She walked to the swings near the overlook that had a great view of the ocean. It was beautiful at sunset. The colors reflecting off the water, bathing on lookers in a warm glow that always had the ability to defy the weather. It could be freezing out, but if one were to stand there, and look out over the ocean, you would feel a warmth creep over you that would rival that of a fire.

As she stood there, watching the sun make its slow decent, she thought about her current situation. Life with friends wasn't all it was cracked up to be she thought. It was filled with lies, deception, hurt and anger. It was dangerous.

As the sun made its last goodbyes to the west coast, Rachel knew what she had to do. She had to remove herself from her friends. It was all that could be done. She didn't want to lie to them anymore, didn't want to hurt them. She had to do this.

* * *

The biology teacher had been threatening to switch everyone's lab partners around for a while now, as everyone was paired with a friend, and thus few were getting their work done. Rachel just prayed that he would finally make good on his threat today. She sat quietly in her seat, Gar silently beside her. The teacher was going on about something or other pertaining to catalysts when Rachel felt her luck pick up. A girl Rachel knew to be called Kate started talking to a girl called Natalie. The teacher threw his chalk down and said that he had had enough.

"Everybody, stand up! Grab your stuff and move to the walls!" Mr. Agate said. He then started to place the students according to his own seating chart that Rachel could see he had spent a good deal of time on. He was placing everyone with someone they couldn't stand, or at least wouldn't feel the need to talk to in the middle of class. Natalie, a prep, had just been placed with Will, the creepy kid that's at every school. The teacher had just passed sentence to Kate, sticking her with a boy from the band, Rachel could see the tears start to build in Kate's eyes, when there came a knock at the door.

"Yes?" Mr. Agate asked irritably as he opened the door, "Oh, Mr. C.! What a pleasant surprise! We're just having a bit of a re-ordering here."

"I see that." Mr. C., the principal, who always said the title with the "pal" stressed, making it "princi_pal_" said, "Well, Agate, I have a new student here for you. This is Tara Markov." he said, pushing forth a very skinny blonde girl with piercing blue eyes. Rachel wasn't sure what it was, but she had the feeling she wouldn't like this girl (7).

"Very good." Mr. Agate said as Mr. C. left the girl and went back to his patrolling of the school.

"Let me see here." Mr. Agate said, consulting his seating chart, "Ah, you can sit with Garfield. Garfield, Tara, the next work station please." he then said, indicating a work station close to the front. Rachel gave a sigh of relief that she was no longer partnered with Gar. She was so happy, that she didn't even mind that she was paired with another one of the preppy girls.

* * *

That day at lunch Rachel went to the office.

"Can I help you?" the secretary, who was old and had blue hair that was the result of bad dying, asked her.

"I need a schedule change." Rachel said.

"May I inquire as to why?" the old secretary asked.

"I want to switch from Home Ec to a study hall. My homework load is getting a little full and I think that a study hall will help.

"You realize that study hall isn't worth any credits? You'd be dropping half a credit."

"I know. And I believe that I will still have enough credits to graduate when I get there." Rachel answered.

"Ok then, you need to go see the guidance counselor." she said happily.

Rachel wanted to shoot her, but held back her anger, gave a pleasant sounding, "Thank you." and headed to the other end of the hall. Once there, she had to go through the same thing with his secretary, but as she wasn't as old or senile, it wasn't as bad.

"He'll see you now." the secretary said to Rachel after the guidance counselor finished his phone call.,

She went into his office and sat where he told her to. "Now, Rachel," he said, after consulting a memo, "Why do you want a schedule change?"

"I feel like my homework load is getting a bit more that I can handle." she lied, "I feel that if I were to take a study hall, instead of Home Ec, it would help a lot."

"How would that help?" he asked.

"I would feel less pressure, knowing that I could ask my teacher for help should I need it." she answered. She had worked on this story all morning (8).

"I see." he said, "So it's not actually getting it done that you need help with, it's knowing that its done right?" he asked.

"Yes, sir." she said.

"Well, would you be willing to switch your art class also?" he asked.

"Yes, sir." she said, 'I was counting on it.' she thought.

"Well then, I guess that we can switch you to a sixth period art class with a seventh period study hall. How's that sound?" he asked.

"Wonderful." she said, allowing a smile of relief to grace her features.

"Glad I could help." he said, just as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, he clicked something on the computer and his printer started to whir. He wrote her an admittance slip, handed it to her, grabbed her new schedule, ripped it apart from the blank sheets, and handed it to her also. "Have a nice day." he said.

"You too, sir." she said as she stood up and headed to her new Art class. On the way to the stairs, she saw Gar, Kori, Dick, Vic and that new girl Tara heading to Home Ec.

"There you are, girl!" Vic said to her, "We were wondering where you were. Come on, Wally's supposed to model the boxers he made in class today, I hear they are in a girly print and it's going to be hilarious!"

"Yes, it is to be most joyous!" Kori said. Gar and Dick remained silent.

"Sorry guys, but I got a schedule change." she said, she saw all their faces drop, "I need to get to art." and with that she headed up the stairs to her art class.

* * *

She walked in to see a much smaller class than her usual Art class. This class consisted of Jericho, an older student named Red, the foreign exchange student-Aggie, a girl named Laura, a guy named Bob and another named Carl (9). It was a much smaller class, the seats only being half filled, where in her other class, they were full. She looked at the seat that was typically hers, but found Jericho to be in it. She excused herself, grabbed her stuff from her drawer, then took a different seat.

The teacher was a little late getting to class, but Rachel handed him the admittance slip and he said that all was in order, and switched her keys. They were to brain storm ideas for sets and draw them, or if their skills - or lack there of- couldn't do their idea justice, they were to write them as detailed as possible. Luckily for Rachel, her skills were enough to do them justice. She already knew what scene she wanted to do first, the funeral at the church scene. She had never really been in a church before, but knew the stereotypical idea of one. She knew that what would really set her's apart form the others was the colors she wanted to incorporate into it, the colors from the sunset.

She took her time working on the body and outline of the church, never seeming to get it quite to her liking. It was good enough, but not what she was looking for. She shifted her work to the auditorium scene. That was easy enough. She drew the auditorium as it appeared in their school. There were only five chairs on the stage, she didn't know how many were actually needed, but five looked right to her. Then, in the background, there was a rope dangling from the catwalks, a sandbag, an old piano, and a set mover, as she called it. She looked it over and removed the set mover. She then looked it over again, finding it to her liking. She then grabbed her color pencils and started with that. She cast the chairs in light, leaving the rest of the stuff she had on the stage in the dark and barely visible by the light on the chairs.

She was only a quarter done with this when the bell rang. She decided that she might work on this after she got her other homework done, so she collected it all and left for her locker.

She took her book bag with her to study hall, handed the teacher the admittance slip, then took a seat in the back. She wondered why she had never thought to take this class before, it was in the library and surely would be more useful to her than Home Ec could ever be. She took her math book and finished the assigned homework. The class was halfway over when she finished this. She then took out her picture and worked on it. One of the unidentified kids from the meeting last Thursday came up to her and looked at her work.

"Is that the Life Support scene?" she asked.

"Yeah." Rachel said as she looked for her brown pencil to color part of the floor.

"It looks good." the girl said.

"Thanks." Rachel said as she paused in her coloring to admire her work, "It's still a working progress though."

"Well, I think it will be great in life." the girl said.

"Thanks." Rachel said. The girl said that she was welcome and then walked away.

* * *

Rachel was still working on the picture when the bell rang. She picked up her stuff and put it in her book bag. She then headed out of the school via the closest possible exit. She then found a close by 7-11, and grabbed some change and went to the pay phone. She dialed the digits to get her father's office.

"Roth Industries. Mr. Roth's office." came the voice of her father's secretary.

"Hey, Myrtle." Rachel said.

"Oh, hi, Rachel." Myrtle said.

"Is dad available?" she asked.

"Why yes he is, sweetie!" Myrtle said as Rachel gave a shudder at being called "sweetie", "I'll patch you though."

"Thanks, Myrtle." Rachel said right before the silence.

"Hello?" came the boom that was her father's voice.

"Father?"

"Rachel?"

"I was wondering if there were any plans for tonight? I have something I have to do in town."

"Nothing." her father said, "That it?"

"Yeah." she said.

"Good." _Click_.

Rachel walked around for a while, There really wasn't anything she wanted to do, she just didn't want to go home. As she was walking, she kept picturing the church she was trying to draw, wondering what it was that it needed. She looked around her. She had never been to this part of town before. She wasn't worried, but still wondered where she was. She walked a block or so more until she spotted a church. She figured why not see if it was open and see if she can get the inspiration that she needed. 

She walked up to the door and tried it. It gave at her tug and she opened it easily, despite how heavy it seemed. She walked into the hall way and through to the congregation hall. She thought it a beautiful church and immediately saw things she wanted to incorporate in her scene. She took a seat in one of the back pews and took out her pad and pencil. She looked at the pulpit, it was raised, but not in a holier-than-thou way, it seemed to be more of a measure to make sure that everyone could see and hear the preacher. She looked at the stained glass windows and their images. She looked at the other pews bathed in the light that filtered through the stained glass. It also projected that warmth that she wanted to convey. She worked feverishly, but not because she had need or want to, but because that was how fast everything was spinning in her head. She finished her outline just as the lights in the church were coming on. She heard a door at the front of the hall she was in open and an older lady come in.

"Hello." the lady called to her, "You're early."

"I'm sorry, " Rachel called to the lady, standing, "I needed to draw a church scene for a play the school is putting on and I needed inspiration. I came here because it was the first church I saw after walking and thinking."

"Oh." the lady said, "Well, I hope you got your inspiration."

"Yes, ma'am, I did." Rachel said, holding out her art for the lady to see.

"Wow." the lady commented upon seeing the sketch, "You have some talent there."

"Thank you ma'am. Would it be ok if I entered that for consideration for the set?"

"I don't see why not." she said, handing it back, "My name is Azar by the way." (10)

"My name is Rachel." she held out her hand, she felt like she could trust this lady.

"May I ask why you didn't go to your own church?" Azar asked.

"I don't have a church."

"Well, I would like to invite you to attend our meetings when ever you like." Azar said, she reached in her pocket and pulled a card that had the name and address of the church and the meeting times.

"Thank you." Rachel said.

"I must warn you, though, that this is no ordinary church." Azar said.

"Is there such a thing as ordinary?" Rachel asked.

"Good point." Azar said, then looked at Rachel a little closer, "Are you ok?"

"Yes." Rachel snapped, then caught herself, "I'm sorry, its just that everyone I know has been asking that lately."

"I understand." Azar said, "Come, I'll take you for a tour and then you can stay for the service if you like."

"Thank you." Rachel said, "I'd like that."

* * *

1) Ok, so no one would _really_ do that, at least not in a Home Ec class- but I thought it was fun. I dunno. I give all permission to not like that.

2) You thought I was going to say Gar, huh? I fooled you! I fooled you! ( in a sing-song voice) I'm done now.

3) Yes, a long and detailed list of what Rachel offered Kori, but it is what we have in our fridge/beverage selection- and I felt like sharing. Don't you feel privileged? And, yes, I am odd (we'll say) like that.

4) Yes, I know, it's not all that unlikely to find Dick/Robin at a library, but as I always pictured Wayne Manor (or what ever it was called) as having its own library, he wouldn't have need of the Public Library and so wouldn't be found often in one and I gave that thought to Rachel/Raven. I dunno.

5) Yeah, I think I made that word up, but it worked, so, eh.

6) Ok, so I have no idea where Jump City is, though I heard it's supposed to be San Francisco which would make it in California, or if prostitution is illegal there or not, but it is here so that's what I went with.

7) You know the feeling I'm talking about. That one you get when you first meet someone when, no matter how hard you both may try, you don't like each other. That feeling. We all get it at least once in our lives, and this is one of Rachel's times to get it. Ok, about Terra. I don't like her. I _almost _hate her, but not quite. Really. And, yes, I know that she's only a cartoon/comic character, but that's what's keeping me from all out hating her- and the fact that she had really cool music played when she was doing something in the "Terra" episode. So, if you love/really like her, be warned. On the other hand, if you, like me, think she should die the death that Chef got on South Park, be warned too. She isn't very nice in this, but I think that the not niceness comes from extreme lack of self confidence and jealousy. Eh? Kinda wish I could've killed her, but this isn't that type of fan fic. Darn.

8) Yes, I know that that is a bunch of bologna, but hey? It's a fan fic. Things can be a out there or convenient (like the bio teacher switching seats) as I want them to be. So there. XP

9) Yes, that's Red X, I didn't get to creative there, did I? But as of right now, he's just kind of there. I don't think he'll cause any trouble for anyone. I dunno, maybe he steals a pencil or something. Um, Aggie is Argent and she also probably won't have a big part, just a filler. The others are figments of my imagination.

10) Yes, enter Azar. I just felt the need to give Rachel a place she can go to for, at least temporary, escape. A "happy place" if you will.

Ok. So, I know that I said that I was done, but on reading it after the two week break- I don't like it. Amazing what a two week absence can do. I was all proud of it before, and now, I this close (holds forefinger and thumb less than a millimeter apart) with just deleting that part and rewriting it all over. I mean, there are part I like, but over all- eeewwww. So, ideas, please! Please! With whipped cream and a cheery on top (and, if your not allergic, peanuts too)! I'm almost completely open.

So, please lemme know!


	7. Chapter 7

I don't own them. Trust me, there wouldn't be this big of a following if I did.

* * *

Azar showed Rachel all over the church. There were two parts, the main part and the part where Azar and the monks lived. Azar had shown her all over the church and introduced her to some of the monks. They seemed like a quiet bunch, very into meditation. They also seemed very at peace because they used that meditation to rid them selves of emotion. It intrigued Rachel very much. To be that calm all the time. She had always tried to convey that she didn't care, but now she might actually be able to not care. To not feel angry when he father hit her, to not feel dirty when he was done, to not feel shame when she covered the bruises, to really not care what other's thought of her at school, it seemed too good to be true.

She thought back to when Azar was showing her the courtyard of the church. It was a beautiful courtyard, much like the rest of the church. Ivy climbed up the walls of the old stone building and over the windows, some of which were stained glass, others which weren't. Late roses lined the two archways that covered the two entrances of the path that ran through it. A fountain in the middle bore the image of a woman looking into the pool of water surrounding her and a man, possibly an admirer or lover, looking down on her with either love or pain in his face, Rachel couldn't tell which. The path circled around the fountain and ran through the rest of the courtyard's garden. Late flowers dotted about here and there, bringing color to the fading brown of the mulch. Benches were placed sporadically around, some under the shade of small tress, others next to the walls or the fountain.

A bell had tolled somewhere and Azar looked away from the water running down the figures of the fountain and looked to Rachel, "Would you like to come to a service?" she asked.

Rachel assented and followed Azar into the main hall where Rachel had found her inspiration. When they entered, Rachel saw most of the monks she had met earlier and a few other people who must not of lived at the church. Some of the people looked to be "upper-class citizens" who were well off, and others seemed to have come in off the streets.

"We help a lot of homeless and illegals here." Azar said, obviously noticing Rachel's gaze, "Take them in for a while, give them some medical attention, though it's not much more than first aide, feed them." She took a breath, "The world can be cruel to any and everyone. Good people fall on hard times and governments don't always give good families the necessary papers to try to make a better lives for themselves. We don't care here, we help them all. Or at least try to." Rachel looked at Azar after she said this, Azar quickly covered her saddened gaze and put on a false smile that Rachel could see right through. "Come on. Better get a seat."

During the service, Rachel agreed with Azar's earlier statement that this was no ordinary church. To be honest, it was borderline occult. But Rachel didn't really know if she would call it occult, more neo-pagan. It seemed they used a bit of every religion to Rachel. It created the perfect breeding grounds for harmony and peace. But Rachel, who had read _Left Behind_ was weary that there was some underlying current. It couldn't work. Religion was one of those things that people absolutely refused to back down on. Granted, this generation was a bit more tolerant in accepting other's beliefs than other generations were, but was that saying all that much? Rachel looked around her and was shocked. These people seemed genuinely happy with the stitched up religion. She could see why too. Azar and her monks didn't call for a strict adherence to any rule really. They just wanted peace on Earth. Goodwill towards men. All the stuff most other religions had been promising for centuries and even millennia. Here, in this group of thirty or so people, it had been achieved (1).

Like in the made-for-TV-movies that Rachel had seen, after the service, there was punch and coffee. Rachel just sorta weaved in and out of the others there, not really talking to anyone, until she saw Azar. Feeling the comfort offered by seeing a friendly and known face, Rachel walked over to Azar who was discussing the service with another patron of the church.

"Hello, Rachel." Azar said when she saw Rachel, "Did you enjoy the service?"

"Very much." Rachel truthfully answered, "Thank you for allowing me to attend."

"Oh, Rachel, this is Mr and Mrs. Satterthwaite." Azar began, indicating the elderly couple she had been talking with, "They have been here almost since the church opened. They were even here before we moved into here."

"Used to hold services in your basement, Azar!" Mr. Satterthwaite said, "Remember those days?"

"Yes, yes I do." Azar said, smiling fondly at the memory, "But I'm glad we moved here. Now I don't have to clean up all the time." She gave Rachel a little wink and Rachel grinned.

"Didn't this place used to be a Catholic school and church?" Mrs. Satterthwaite asked.

"Yes." Azar confirmed the old lady's thoughts, "But we did some renovations to the school area to make it more live-in-friendly."

"I remember it." Mr. Satterthwaite said, a look of reminiscences coming over his face, "I had a friend, O'Leary, who came here, said the nuns were as bad as all the movies and stories make them out to be. He had a scar on his left knuckle where a nun hit him sharp with a metal edged ruler for chewing gum in class."

"He told me it was from punching your brother that night they got in a fight in junior year." Mrs. Satterthwaite said.

"Did you two also go here?" Rachel asked, thoroughly bored, but knowing how to seem interested and polite.

"No." Mrs. Satterthwaite said, "No, we went to Jump City High. But that was back before they renovated it."

"They've renovated it?" Rachel, who went there and could in no way tell.

"Oh, yes." Mr. Sattrethwaite said, "The old building was mostly burned down one year and they built a new one. That was in '62, right, Ilene?"

" It was in '68, dear."

Rachel met a few of the other patrons of the church. When it was getting to a time classified as "late", she excused herself and left to go home. She found her father in his study, going over papers for a possible business venture. He said that he was not to be disturbed, so she went to her room and closed the door.

She looked over the pamphlet that Azar had given her to help her meditate. She lit some candles, some incense, and put on some quiet music. All of these things were supposed to help. She then lay on her back, as the pamphlet said that it would be easier to learn that way, she would work up to meditating in an upright position. She took deep breaths and concentrated on her breathing. Azar said that they would find words for her to chant after she got the basics, for now she was to use her breathing.

She was so into her meditation that she soon fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning in Biology, Rachel was aware of the fact that Gar kept looking over at her. She did her best to ignore it and went on with the microscopy lab they were doing. She found herself being grateful for that Tara girl, even if some about the new girl was off.

She looked up to see the girl flirting shamelessly with Gar. She felt her stomach tighten when she saw that stupid grin spread across his face. She thought back to her musings from last Friday. She couldn't have feelings for him, could she? She looked up again and saw him flirting back. She felt anger and, was that jealously, rise up in her. She felt her new partner, a girl named Laura, look at her and she quickly returned to her work.

"So, are you and Gar fighting?" Laura asked as she looked into the microscope to see the amoeba that Rachel found.

"What makes you say that?" Rachel asked as she began to draw what she saw in the microscope.

"Well, you both keep looking at each other." Laura said as she too began to draw the organism, "And every time you look at him, you get madder and madder, while every time he looks at you, his face gets sadder and sadder."

"Could've fooled me." Rachel said as she looked back up from the microscope to see Gar and Tara flirting some more. She looked into the microscope again, "Damn." she started to fiddle with the stage of the microscope.

"What?" Laura asked.

"I can't see the amoeba, it must of moved." and she spent five more minutes trying to find another unicellular organism.

* * *

The rest of the day wasn't all sun shine and daisies either. Kori was trying to get her attention all through out their math class, Vic was trying to talk to her in English and Dick was kept looking at her in Spanish. She felt a previously unknown appreciation for History that day, as none of the others were in that class, not even that Tara, who seemed to be in every other class she had in the morning. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the perky blonde tried to get the others' attentions every time they tried to get hers. She felt grateful, and yet, she felt like she was being replaced. It was relieving to know that the spotlight wasn't on her, but being replaced the next day, it hurt.

At lunch, Rachel ate in an unused hallway. She had often ate here last year right after the whole Malchoir thing. She felt a bit resentful of the lockers and classroom doors, feeling that they were mocking her, though she knew that was just a thing in her mind. Seeing them meant that she was, again, the freak. The girl no one wanted. She went to the end of the hallway where it turned a corner and led to two, also unused, classrooms. She took a desk that was being stored there and out it next to a window and looked out into the parking lot of the school. She saw Mr. C. get into his car and drive off, no doubt going to his wife's office three blocks down the road, from which they would then go get something to eat as a married couple. She then saw a group of seniors sneak out to their cars to go out for lunch as well.

She gave a sigh and turned to her bagged lunch. She took out her water and took a drink. She was about to take out an orange when she saw someone walk towards her. She looked up to see Jericho look perplexed at her. "I'm sorry." she said, "I didn't know anyone else came her."

He wrote something, "Don't worry, we're all friends, right?"

She gave a sad chuckle, "Sure. You want me to move?"

"No. It'll be nice to have company for a change." he wrote, "Something wrong?" He looked really concerned.

"No." she said, giving an obviously fake smile, "Nothing."

He didn't look convinced, but pulled up another desk and sat down with his lunch, "So, what brings you here?" he wrote.

"Things." she noncommittally answered, "You?"

His face clouded over. He wrote, "No one wants to talk to the kid that can't talk back."

"Really?" Rachel asked. While never seeing Jericho as being "popular", she had always envisioned him as having friends. She saw him shrug.

"Ah, well." his shrug seemed to say, he then wrote, "Who needs them, eh?"

"Right." she chuckled.

The spent the rest of the lunch period in silence.

* * *

After lunch, Rachel and Jericho walked to Art together. As they were walking in, Aggie came up to the door also. Rachel felt Jericho stop next to her and tense. She wondered what was up, until she looked at his face, a look of longing came over his face.

"Thank you." Aggie said as he motioned for her to go ahead. Rachel saw him give a fleeting smile, that was quickly replaced with a "I am so stupid!" look.

"So, you and Aggie, huh?" Rachel asked him after said foreign exchange student was out of ear-shot. He gave her a look that said "I wish.", then proceeded into the classroom.

Once inside the classroom, they took their seats. The bell sounded and the looked around for the teacher expectantly, but he was no where to be seen.

"Probably fell asleep in the teachers' lounge again." Red said as he stretched out to take a nap. This would have been the third time in two weeks that the teacher had fallen asleep. Last time he didn't show up until the last five minutes of class. While this surprised Rachel, the others were quiet used to it and either prepared to take a nap, like Red, or started on something or other.

Rachel was pulling out her pad to start work on something or other when Carl came up to her.

"Rachel?" he asked.

"Yes." she responded, looking up from her work.

"Could I ask a favor of you?"

"What?" she asked, getting suspicious.

"I have this idea, for the Protest-Tent City scene, but I can't draw to save my life."

"Then why are you in an Art Class?"

"Because, sad as my art abilities are, my rhythm is even worse." he said, looking slightly embarrassed.

"What do you have in mind?" Rachel asked. He got a relieved look on his face and immediately delved into a description of his idea.

Rachel had to admit that Carl's idea was a good one. He also gave a good enough description to make it relatively easy for her to draw. She had gotten the outline done in the class, which he said was exactly like how he pictured it. While he had been giving her a description, he was writing down what he pictured the coloring to look like. He then went over it with her, then gave her the paper. She would work on it over night and bring it in the next day.

* * *

After her study hall, she was on her way out when she saw Lindy running up to her. She stopped in her trek towards the door and waited for Lindy to catch up.

"Rachel!" Lindy panted when she caught up with her, "I thought I had missed you." She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Rachel, "Have your parent and or guardian sign this by Wednesday."

"What is it?" Rachel asked as she took it.

"A permission form." Lindy panted, still catching her breath.

"I gathered that, but for what?"

"To buy supplies and what not." Lindy said, having finally caught her breath, "Since you were one of the students who went to the meeting, you get to do the extra things, like miss school and stuff."

"Oh." Rachel said.

"Yeah, you, Jenny and Jericho get to go."

"What about the other two?" Rachel asked, remembering the two even if she didn't remember their names.

"They are for the advanced class." Lindy explained, "They'll go at different times." Rachel gave an understanding nod. "We'll I'll see you on Friday then."

"Yeah, see ya." Rachel said as she read over the permission form. She slipped it in her book bag then headed out the door.

She went home and started her chores for the day. She looked around her and sighed. She needed to get out of here, but where to go? She went up to her room and grabbed a book that she had read three times. As she was picking it up, however, the pamphlets that Azar had given her yesterday fell off the table from their spot under the book. She looked at them again and decided that she would go to the church.

She called her father's office to confirm that there wasn't a dinner meeting that night.

"Hello?" her father answered after his secretary patched Rachel through.

"Father? It's Rachel."

"What do you want?" he snapped.

"To see if you had any plans." she said.

"No." he barked, "Is that all?"

"Well, if there are no plans, I'll be in town for a while tonight."

"Don't do anything to embarrass me." he demanded.

"No, sir." she said right before he hung up. She put the book back, then left the house.

* * *

1) Ok, so I'm NOT knocking any religion here, I just wanted to express what drew Rachel to that religion. I think that acceptance would be a major thing to her, and acceptance of all the different factions of something as diverse as religion would show that these people really do accept everyone. Yes, I have read the _Left Behind_ series, and know that this is something the Anti-Christ is going to promise, but I promise that Azar is NOT the Anti-Christ, nor are any of the monks, or Rachel. That was just Rachel being skeptical-Rachel.

Ok, so that was a short post, but school is back in and this is all I've been able to work through. I probably won't be able to post until next Tuesday at the earliest, as I have three really big test on Monday (I really don't like school :P). So wish me luck so that I don't fail (and get grounded again) and I promise that the next post will be a more satisfactory size.

Till then, lemme know!


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own them. Never have, never will. It is a fact of life.

* * *

Rachel was currently in the back seat of Lindy's car, Jericho in the seat next to her and Jenny in the front passenger seat. They were on their way to the art supply by the bulk place where Lindy said they could get the stuff for making the sets and some of the props, like the posters. Rachel noticed that Jenny was being a bit tense around her, but didn't say anything. If Jenny wanted to talk to her, she would, Rachel definitely wasn't going to make her.

They pulled into a large, almost empty parking lot and followed Lindy into the warehouse like building. Lindy gave her and Jenny a list and took Jericho and the slightly longer list, because she knew where most of the stuff was, and headed off into the store with a cart.

"So, I think we should get busy." Rachel said, grabbing a cart as well.

"Unless you want to switch partners." Jenny said.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Why would I want to switch partners?"

"You wanted to switch classes."

"Why do you care that I switched classes?"

"Uh, I thought we were _friends_!" Jenny said, "But I guess I was wrong."

"Look, it was nothing personal against anyone. I needed a study hall- "

"Bull shit!" Jenny said, her voice so low that Rachel almost couldn't hear it, "Everyone knows that you were just running away!"

"From what?"

"People! Intimacy! Friendship!" Jenny said, "All the things that come from being around people!"

"What?" Rachel asked incredulously, "What things? Lies? Hurt? Betrayal? Anger? Those things?"

"I never once did anything to betray or lie to you." Jenny said.

"It's just par for the course when I'm involved." Rachel said.

"Let me help you." Jenny pleaded, placing an arm on Rachel's shoulder. Rachel shrugged it away, her father had been drunk last night.

"I don't need any help." Rachel said.

"Yes." Jenny said, looking her straight in the eye, "Yes you do."

"No I don't." Rachel said again.

Jenny was no fool. She knew when to back down. She did so now, mostly anyway, "Can we still be friends?" she asked.

"I never said we couldn't be." Rachel said. In all honesty she knew that she needed someone, she needed a friend. Besides Jericho that was, she couldn't complain to him about certain feminine problems or other equally touchy things (1). She saw Jenny's outstretched hand and took it. They shook and a small smile spread on their faces.

"Now that the feud is over, maybe you two can get to the stuff on your list instead of yelling at each other?" Lindy asked them. Jericho was smiling at them and gave them a thumbs up sign before following Lindy into the bowels of the store.

"She's got a one track mind." Rachel commented.

"No, she just wants to get back early." Jenny said, "She and Herald have a date tonight." (2)

"The trumpet guy?" Rachel asked as she finally grabbed the cart and they started to head into the store.

"Yeah." Jenny said as she followed Rachel, "They make a cute couple really."

Rachel thought about it, "Yeah, I guess they could."

"I think we should start to tackle this list before Lindy yells at us again." Jenny said, looking at the list in her hands.

"Might be helpful." Rachel said, giving a chuckle.

"So what have you been doing with yourself these past few days?" Jenny asked after they acquired the first few things on the list.

"Not much, really." Rachel said, "Just going to church."

"Church?" Jenny asked, giving her a sideways glance.

"Yeah." Rachel defended, "I like it."

"I just don't picture you as much of a church goer." Jenny said.

"Well, its not a typical church." Rachel said, remembering Azar's words to her.

"Really?" Jenny asked, "How so?"

"I dunno." Rachel answered truthfully, "A lot of things really. Like, they don't spend the entire time telling you that you can't do this, or you can't do that, like most churches. They focus on the things that could be done to help. Then, afterwards, there will be a paper where you can write ideas to better the community in the that was discussed. Sign up sheets will go up, if enough people express interest in a particular project, it happens, if not, there will be other projects."

"Sounds nice." Jenny said, noticing the spark in Rachel's eyes.

"It is." Rachel said as she grabbed an industrial sized tub of black paint and heaved it into the cart. "I think we're going to need another cart." she said, eyeing the almost full cart in front of them.

They got another cart and continued their conversation, Rachel pushing the full cart, Jenny the empty cart. "Have you done any projects with the church?" Jenny asked Rachel.

"Not yet." Rachel said as she consulted the list, "Nothing's been finalized. But I've been helping in the day care room."

"Really?" Jenny asked, stopping in her tracks at this news, "You?"

"I know." Rachel laughed, "Hard to believe. I couldn't stand it at first, and I wanted to kill Azar for sticking me there. But I've grown to love those kids." she grabbed a huge box of Sharpies.

"Huh." Jenny said. She couldn't believe it.

"You should come some time." Rachel said.

"I might." Jenny said, "Check it out at least."

* * *

Jenny accompanied Rachel to the church the next few weeks. Rachel had to admit, that if felt good to have a friend other than Azar. Jericho even joined them a few times and Wally joined them on Fridays. But things still weren't the same. Rachel doubted they ever would be.

One day, Rachel wanted to be done with her chores quicker than normal, so she rode the bus home. She got on quickly and grabbed the seat at the back of the bus. The next thing she saw filled her with ice. Kori boarded, behind her was a Dick, holding her hand (Rachel had heard rumors that they were dating), followed by Vic and Bee, also holding hands (Rachel knew they were dating) and then Gar with Tara very close behind. When they took a seat, she sat on his lap and they acted so "cutesy" that not even Kori could look. Rachel felt sick and scooted closer to the window so she wouldn't have to see them, then concentrated on her breathing. When the bus got to their stop, she waited for them to get off before she stood up to get off herself. She quickly headed home to do her chores, getting done about the time she would've gotten home if she walked, the image of _her_ in _his _arms barging into her thoughts.

When she got to the church, she asked Jenny about it.

"Yeah, they've been dating for about three weeks now." Jenny said.

"Oh." was all Rachel said.

"I'm sorry, Rachel." Jenny said.

"Nothing to be sorry about, but speaking of dating rumors, you and Wally?"

"Yeah." Jenny said with a smile on her face. Rachel allowed her friend her reminisces.

* * *

The play was moving on nicely and coming together. Lindy had taken Rachel, Jenny and Jericho out to get the clothes that the characters would be wearing.

"So the parts are cast?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah." was all Lindy said as she read a confusing set of directions. After she got out of the confusing part, she elaborated, "Yeah, uh, Mark was given to a Gar Logan, Roger to a Dick Grayson, Collins to a Seymour Butowski, Benny to a Damien Lacarnum, Mimi to a Kori Anders, Angel to a Travis Might, Joanne to an Alicia Zanes, and Maureen to a Tara Markov."

'They got the parts they wanted.' Rachel thought, a small smile on her face.

"Isn't Damien that guy with the really bad temper?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah." Lindy answered.

"And doesn't Seymour have those huge glasses that make his eyes look huge?" Jenny further inquired (3).

"Yeah, but he said he's getting contacts."

"What about the other parts?" Rachel asked, "Like the Life Support group?"

"We'll get them later. Today we're just worried about the main cast." Lindy said as she pulled into a parking lot at a Salvation Army, "We're here."

* * *

At the beginning of November, they had to fit the actors in their costumes. Once again, Rachel was glad she had gone to that meeting, because she, Jenny and Jericho were allowed out of class to do this. Lindy taught them how to pin things in a way to not poke the person in the clothes. She then showed them the list and told them that they were to take the next person on the list.

After lunch, the office called the cast of the plays down. Lindy separated them into two lines, one the first class play, the other the advanced play. The lists were alphabetical. This stuck Rachel with Kori first. 'This is going to be awkward.'

"Kori." she called as she grabbed the bag of clothes that were for Mimi, "This way please." She led Kori over to one of the changing booths, told her to go inside and put on one of the costumes, handing her the bag.

When Kori emerged, Rachel was thankful that she didn't need all that many alterations. She quickly pinned the places that would need taken in, shortened, or moved.

"How are you, Rachel?" Kori asked.

"I'm fine, you?" she asked in return.

"I am fine." Kori answered sadly. There was silence until Rachel finished. She then sent Kori to be approved by Lindy, which was immediately done. The process was similar for the other costumes and she was quickly done.

She sent Kori to practice, and looked at the next name on the list, Dick. 'Who the hell up there hates me?' she silently asked herself, "Dick!"

There was silence while she worked on his costumes, until she was done, "I'm supposed to ask if you have an old leather jacket?" she asked him.

"I'm sure Bruce has one I can use." he said.

"Well, find out and let some one know as soon as possible." she said then sent him to practice. She looked at the next name in the list, '_Damn_!' she thought, "Gar!"

"Hey, Rachel." he said, nervously.

"This way." was all she said.

"What you been up to?" he asked as she lead him to a changing booth.

"A bit of this, a bit of that." she said, "In there." she pointed.

He went in and changed. When he came out she got to work, "I haven't seen you around much." he said.

'I dare say you haven't.' she thought, "I've been busy." she said.

"Well we should all do something sometime." he said.

'Sure.' she thought, "I'm going to be pretty busy until this play is over," she lied.

"Oh." he said, "Me too, probably."

Silence.

"So…" he started, but Rachel cut him off.

"Go see Lindy." which he did and shortly came back approved. He went into the changing booth, changed and came back out again.

"So, uh, we've missed you." he said.

"Sure." she mumbled.

"What?" he asked.

"I didn't say anything, I stuck myself with a pin." she lied.

"Oh." he said sadly.

"Go see Lindy." He came back approved.

"We missed you at the Homecoming game and dance." he said.

"I saw you guys at the game, even waved." she said, which was true, she, Jenny and Jericho went to the game and Jenny bet her a cup of hot chocolate that they would see her if she waved, Rachel had won. "I didn't go to the dance."

"Oh. We must not have seen you." he said.

"Must not of." she repeated, "Go see Lindy."

When he came back, she asked him the questions she was to ask him, "Do you have, or can you afford a tux?"

"Uh, yeah." he answered uncertainly.

"Do you have, or can you get a brown corduroy jacket?"

"Yes."

"Then go change, you're all done."

"Oh, ok." he said before changing. When he was done, as he was handing her his bag, he said, "It was nice to see you again, Rea."

"You too." she said shortly, before marching off.

She told Lindy that she was going to the restroom and left the auditorium. She went to the restroom and grabbed some toilet paper to daub at her eyes. That was way harder than she thought it would be. She had known that she would came in contact with them during the course of preparing for the play, but she didn't expect for this many emotions to come with them. She heard the door open and she acted like she was rinsing something out of her eye.

"Rachel?" Jenny called.

"Yeah." Rachel said, still pretending to be rinsing something out of her eye.

"Are you ok?" Jenny asked her.

"I'm fine." she lied, "What makes you ask that?"

"You didn't cream Gar for calling you Rea."

"I just had something in my eye and wanted to get it out." she lied again. God, she hated lying.

"That's not true." Jenny said, "You know it. I know it. You know I know it."

Rachel took a deep breath, "I just didn't expect all these feelings. I wasn't ready for them."

"It's ok, Rachel." Jenny soothed her friend, "Its natural to feel."

"Didn't you listen to Azar? We need to suppress these emotions if we want to be truly happy." Rachel protested.

"Yeah, Azar also thinks that some demon or other will come to take over the world if we don't." Jenny quipped, "I have to say that there a times when I don't think Azar is all there." (4)

Rachel gave a small, sad giggle, "She did not."

"I don't remember her telling us that we couldn't feel in order to be happy." Jenny commented.

"Ok, so I may have made that up." Rachel said, slightly chagrinned.

"Come on, Rachel, you can do better than that." Jenny teased her, "You can't feel emotion in order to be happy? Last I checked, 'happy' was an emotion."

"So it wasn't one of my better ones." Rachel said, now chuckling.

"I'll agree to that." Jenny said, "You all better now?"

"Not _all_ better, but a good deal." Rachel said.

"You sure?" Jenny asked, looking into Rachel's eyes.

"I'll be fine."

* * *

Rachel and Jenny then went back into the gym. They saw Travis join the stage. They gave each other questioning looks and went over the where Jericho, who had had Travis, was sitting.

"Wasn't he your first one?" Jenny asked. Jericho nodded.

"I went through three, and you only got one done?" Rachel asked.

Jericho started to write on his pad. When he was done, he held it up: "Yeah, 1) he was a guy who had to put on tights! That takes a while for my MOM to do, let alone a guy who's never worn them before. 2) I'm not good at this thing, it was my first time, I'm going to be slow! 3) Angel has more costumes than half the cast put together!"

"I guess he's got a point." Rachel said, looking at Jenny.

"Ah, we'll let him slide this once." Jenny said, "But he better be faster when we do the extras and Life Support group."

"We gotta do the extras?" Rachel asked.

"No, but I made you sweat!" Jenny teased. Both Rachel and Jericho hit her. "Hey!" she mock yelled, "There's only, like, ten anyway."

"Still more than I care to think about." Rachel glared at her.

* * *

Notes

1) Sorry if you are a guy, but it's true. A girl just can't talk to a guy about that stuff- it's just too awkward for both.

2)Herald is Herald, didn't get too creative there, but Herald is a real name, just one that isn't used all that often any more, so I figured, why not? Maybe eliminate some of the confusion.

3) Damien is Hot Spot and Seymour is See-More. Just in case you didn't know.

4) Couldn't help it really… yes, it's corny, but it was fun to write. Lemme know if it was too much. Sorry if it was.

So, yeah for my tests being over! Thanks for all the "good lucks" too! Sorry I haven't been replying to the reviews, I really have meant to, and plan to, but I was grounded, then busy, then sick, then busy…..ah, life of a teenager. So. Hope you liked it. Once again, sorry if the Azar calling for a demon coming out of the sky (or where ever) and taking over the world thing was a bit much, but it was fun. I think so anyway.

So, when in the school year do you guys want the story to go to? Right now it goes until the end of opening night, which is shortly before winter break (I might have it somewhere that the play was supposed to be in April or May, because it originally was, but I changed my mind). Uh, it can stop there, go until the end of the play (like, the next day or two) go until Christmas, the New Year, the end of the school year- lemme know. I live to serve- on here anyway.

Also, if there in anything you guys want to see, lemme know. I try to work it in-- it might not be for a while, but I try. I think the only thing I haven't done was make this a ReaxRob thing, I had thought about having them go to the Homecoming dance together, but I started to write and it just didn't happen, and I like it this way. But please, ideas are always welcome and mostly used- eventually.

Um, I uped the rating from K to teen. Upon thinking, I just thought that the language was a little too severe for K and some very strong adult themes will be coming into play soon ( with in the next post or so).

So, lemme know.


	9. Chapter 9

Rule for this post: if you recognize it, I don't own it. I don't own anything, really. I don't even own the computer I'm writing this on.

* * *

School had ended for the day, but they stayed after to work on the play. They had worked on some of the posters for the various scenes and then worked on the Life Support fitting, after which, they would take a break. Rachel had just gotten done with the Life Support Group. Jenny and Jericho were finishing up their last ones. She was sitting in a seat, watching Gar, Dick, Seymour and Travis do the "Today 4 U" scene when she "felt" someone sit in the seat behind her (1).

"You know they never ask about you?" said a voice Rachel had never heard, but could immediately place. This was Tara.

"What?" Rachel asked as though she couldn't hear.

"They don't like you anymore. They never ask about you. It's like you never existed." the blonde said. Rachel could hear the smirk on the girls face.

"Good for them." Rachel said as though she didn't care. She started to concentrate on her breathing.

"Especially Gar." Tara said, "He once told me that he was glad you weren't around anymore, said that you were 'creepy'."

"That's nice." Rachel said, 'Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out.'

"Yeah, they're all much happier with out you." Tara said, "Well, I gotta go practice. See you around."

Rachel concentrated harder on her breathing, she would _not_ cry twice today. She wouldn't. She felt another come up to her.

"What was that about?" she heard Jenny ask.

"Just a little chat." Rachel lied.

"Are you ok? You seem like your about to cry."

"I'm not going to cry." Rachel snapped in a whisper, ignoring the tell-tale lump in her throat, she took a deep breath, "Sorry. I'm fine." She looked around, "Jericho still not done?"

"No." Jenny said, taking a seat, "The poor boy is hopeless when it comes to this kinda stuff."

"Ah, well." Rachel said, feeling much better, "He _does_ know his stuff when it came to painting. He was better than me. And between you and me, that _is_ saying something." she chuckled.

"Lay off the _Harry Potter_." Jenny laughed, "But apparently he knows his music too. I'm told he's the one who taught Dick how to play those songs he needs to play."

"Really?"

"Yep." Jenny said, "But enough about that, you want to grab something to eat after this? Wally and I are going to get pizza, and we were wondering if you and Jericho wanted to go."

"Can't." Rachel declined, "I gotta go home."

"Well, it won't be as fun with out you." Jenny said.

"I doubt that." Rachel murmured, watching Gar and Alicia practicing the "Tango Maureen". She looked around and saw Kori, Dick, Vic and Tara talking to each other on the edge of the stage.

"What was that?" Jenny asked.

"Nothing." Rachel lied, "I think Jericho is finally done." she added, pointing where their mute friend was coming over looking frustrated.

He wrote something, then showed it to them, "I NEVER want to do this again!" he then went over the "NEVER" several times so that it was very prominent against the other words, he then added, "It SUCKS!" which he underlined several times.

"That it does," Jenny said, "But we should be done now, as long as whoever's sewing doesn't screw it up."

"If they do I will _kill_ them." Rachel said.

"Me too." wrote Jericho.

* * *

Lindy told them they could go home around seven o'clock. Rachel waved goodbye to Jenny, Jericho and Wally as they headed to the pizza place and she headed in the direction of her house. One her way there, she saw Kori being held up by Kitten and Mandy.

"I'm telling you, Kori, drop the play _now_." Kitten was saying.

"I do not wish to." Kori said, trying to act tough, but being betrayed by her voice which was quivering.

"Do it." Mandy said.

Rachel considered just passing by until she heard the noise of a slap, followed by a small scream by Kori. She looked over to see Kori clutching the side of her face and Kitten have a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Hey!" Rachel called out to them.

"Oh, look, if it isn't the reject." Mandy said, "Haven't seen you at my house lately."

"Been busy." Rachel said, "Now I suggest that you leave Kori alone."

"What are you gonna do?" Kitten asked, "Show us your bruises?"

"You want to see bruises?" Rachel asked, "I'll show you a bruise." Rachel reached back, pulled a fist and let fly. She made contact with Kitten's right eye. Kitten fell from the force of the blow coupled by being caught by surprise. She turned to Mandy, "You want to see a bruise?"

"I'm good." Mandy said, "But you won't be."

"Is that a threat?" Rachel asked condescendingly.

"No," Mandy said, "It's a promise."

"Please," Rachel scoffed, "That is _so_ clichéd."

"Watch your back." Mandy said as she and Kitten left, Kitten complaining that she would never be able to hide the black eye through her tears.

"Rachel! I am most thankful for your-" Kori began.

"Yeah, whatever." Rachel said as she began to head to her house, again. Tara's words still circulating in her head.

"If there is anything I can do to repay you-" Kori said as she started to walk along side of Rachel, but trailed off.

"Leave me alone." Rachel said, picking up her pace enough to let Kori know that she meant it.

* * *

_**Kori, Gar, Dick, Vic and Tara discuss what happened the next day at school**_

"And then Kitten slapped me." Kori said as she was recounting the tale to her friends at lunch, Dick shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I told you I should've walked you home." he said.

"But I am not done!" Kori said, "The next thing I heard was someone call out 'Hey!' and I look and it is Rachel!" this caught the attention of all listening but Tara, who was filing her nails, "My sister called her a reject and asked why she hasn't seen her at our house lately, Rachel said she had been busy. Kitten asked her what she was going to do, then asked something about showing her bruises." Gar and Dick shifted uncomfortably, "Then Rachel said, 'You want to see bruises? I'll show you bruises.' then she punched the evil Kitten in the eye! She then turned to my sister and asked her if she wanted to see a bruise. Mandy then promised her something that Rachel called 'clichéd' then left with Kitten, and Rachel left."

"Well, that explains Kitten's sunglasses." Tara said uninterestedly.

"Please, friends, why does Rachel not wish to be our friend if she clearly still does the thinking of us?" Kori asked.

"I think it might be my fault." Gar said, his head hung low.

"What did you do?" Vic asked in that stern big brother voice of his.

"I asked her if the rumors were true. That night we went to get pizza after the meeting. She got really defensive about it, and I just kept pushing. I put my hand on her arm and she jumped like it hurt her. I asked again, and she said it was nothing." he said.

"I too may of done the pushing away of Rachel." Kori said, also hanging her head.

"I think I helped push her away too." Dick said.

"What did you do?" Vic asked. Honestly, was he the only one who knew when to let someone be?

"I went to her house that Sunday. Gar wouldn't tell us what he and she were arguing about and I couldn't stand not knowing, so I asked around."

"Dude! There was a reason I didn't tell you!" Gar said.

"Yeah, I know that _now_!" Dick defended.

"Enough you two." Vic said, "What happened next?"

"I went to her house to ask her. She wasn't there, but her father was and he- how should I say this, he wasn't _alone_." he looked significantly at the others, all of whom, except for Kori, got it. He then continued, "He told me that he didn't know where she was, and that he didn't care. He was drunker than hell. A voice called from another room, and he said 'Hold up, Nurse Nancy, there's a brat here looking for my bitch of a daughter'." Both Gar and Vic growled angrily, "He was about to slam the door in my face when he said something along the lines of 'Oh, yeah, I think she said something about the library'. So I headed there and I found her. I confronted her about it and she just stormed out. The next day is when she got a schedule change."

They looked at each other sadly. There were a few minutes of silence before Tara spoke up, "Oh, well." she said, "It's not like we need her."

"What are you saying?" Kori asked.

"We've been happy enough with out her." Tara said, shrugging, "And she didn't seem to care when I talked to her about you guys last night."

"You talked to her?" Gar asked, "What did you say?"

"A bit of this, a bit of that." Tara said noncommittally, "Nothing important really. We talked about what you guys have been up to and she acted like she could care less."

The others, though not quite convinced, saw where this could be true, so they dropped it.

* * *

_**Back to Rachel**_

The week moved along and the weekend found Rachel spending the night at Jenny's. And, yes, her father did know this time.

They had just had pizza and watched a movie when Jenny turned to Rachel, "You know what we should do?"

"What?" Rachel asked before taking a bite of her pizza.

"We should dye our hair."

"What?" Rachel said, lowering her slice.

"Yeah! I could dye mine pink and you could dye yours blue or something." Jenny said, really starting to like this idea.

'Why?"

"It would be fun." Jenny said, shrugging her shoulders and grabbing a slice herself. Rachel thought about it. It would be fun. It's not like her father would care. She had been dying her hair black for years now, and he never cared, it was just a different color now.

"I couldn't dye my hair blue though." she said aloud.

"Why not?" Jenny asked, seemingly glad that Rachel was seriously considering it.

"Lindy's is blue."

"But that's a light blue. You could dye your hair dark blue."

"It's still blue." Rachel thought, "How about purple?"

"Sounds great!" Jenny said, standing up, "I'll go ask mom if she'll take us." she added right before bounding up the stairs that led from the finished basement to the rest of the house.

Jenny soon came back down, "She says its cool, but we gotta go now if we want to get there before the place closes."

They both put on their shoes and ran up the steps. Jenny's mother was waiting at the front door, her jacket on and keys in hand.

"Shot!" Jenny called out as they were putting their jackets on.

"Darn you! Darn you to Heck!" Rachel quoted Alex from Madagascar, the movie they had been watching.

"Ok." Jenny said in a mocking tone. They piled into the car and were off to the nearby plaza that conveniently held a Sally's.

Rachel and Jenny were looking at the different colors. Jenny selected a bubblegum pink color. Rachel had a harder time though because she was beginning to have second thoughts. What would her father's clients think? Her father probably couldn't care less, but they might. She bumped her leg against the stand and felt pain where it hit a bruise. She looked at Jenny.

"I don't know about this." she said.

"Aw, come on!" Jenny pleaded, then looked at the selection, "Look, here's one that's so dark its almost black." she said, handing Rachel a box of dye and pointing to the sample. Rachel thought about it, she could blame it on a bad dye job. It was possible. A lot of them had had bad dye jobs before and they would sympathize with her.

"Ok." she said.

* * *

Rachel stood in a towel, looking in the mirror of the basement bathroom where she had just stepped out of the shower. She admired the look of her hair. At certain angles, it looked black, like her old hair, but at other angles it was an amethyst purple. She was so busy looking at her hair that she didn't hear Jenny knock, and gave a startled jump when Jenny burst in to show off her pink hair.

"Check it- _Rachel_!" Jenny exclaimed seeing all the bruises on Rachel's arms. Both froze for a minute or two. Rachel snapped back first, pushed Jenny out of the bathroom, then went about covering them up out of habit.

When she had covered her bruises and got dressed, she left the bathroom. Jenny was standing right outside the door, a worried look on her face.

"Rachel?" she asked.

"Don't tell anyone." Rachel told her, "Please. No good will come of it."

"How long has this been going on?" Jenny asked.

"Ever since my mom left." Rachel told her, hoping that the truth would buy Jenny's silence.

"Why didn't your mother take you with her?"

"She wouldn't be able to keep me." Rachel said, "Besides, he had never hit me before she left, she probably thought that he wouldn't."

To Rachel's surprise, Jenny gave a grim chuckle, "He probably told her that he wouldn't."

"What makes you say that?" Rachel asked.

"My dad isn't my father." Jenny said, "My real father is, I think, serving time for either man slaughter or murder, I'm not sure which. He used to beat my mom. She left, but then went back to him. She had left me because he promised her that he would never beat me. When she found out that he did, she left and took me with her. We drifted for a bit, then she found Dan, and the rest is history."

Rachel just looked at her friend. She never knew. "Will you tell anyone?" she asked.

"I should." Jenny said, "But I know the shame that comes with it, so I won't."

"Thank you."

"The next time he does this, come here?"

"I don't think I will be able to." Rachel said, "Its usually late at night and-"

"I don't care what time is it." Jenny said, "I want you to come here."

"I'll see what I can do." Rachel said, placating her friend, "Nice hair." she said to change the subject.

"Thanks." Jenny chuckled, "Yours too."

The spent the next few minutes discussing their new hair colors.

* * *

Notes:

1) You know what I mean. That feeling you get when you know someone's there, but you don't see them because they're behind you. That feeling.

Wow, I know that was short, but I HATE SCHOOL AND WORK! I swear, that's about all I've been doing. I meant to post this last Thursday, but I obviously wasn't able to. Ughh. I can't wait until next Sundy. By the way, that's probably the earliest I'll be able to post. (Yes, please, shoot me now. It really would be better for all.)

Also, WARNING: the next post will have very disturbing material. I am very serious here. I want to caution you now. Please do not read if you are under the age of 17, or have equal maturity.

Thanks for everything. And, as always, lemme know.


	10. Chapter 10

Wish I owned them, but I don't. Tear. :'( (visual)

* * *

The next Monday was an experience. Everyone kept looking at and commenting on their hair. Mandy and Kitten tried to say that they were responsible for it, but that was quickly thrown in their face when both loudly proclaimed that anyone who wanted to follow suit could get the colors at Sally's, they were Pink #4 and Deep Amethyst #7 (1). Rachel could see that Gar kept throwing her looks in Biology, Kori in Math, Vic in English, Dick in Spanish and Tara kept glaring at her when ever she saw her.

"I already told you where to get it if you're jealous." Rachel told Tara in the hall after Tara threw her a particularly nasty glare. Jenny laughed along with her and Jericho gave an appreciative smile.

The play was coming on nicely, all the props and costumes were almost done, and all Rachel, Jenny and Jericho really had to do now was make sure that everything was in its place. The only big things were to finish painting the backdrops, and they were almost done. The play would be put on right before they left for winter break. They were at a practice running through where everything went and when it went there, when something happened.

"What do you mean you like her hair?" came the shrilling voice of Tara. The gym was silent where Rachel was, but she knew that whoever she yelled at was defending him or herself. "I suppose you want to break up with me and go out with her now?" Rachel now knew she was yelling at Gar. "Well, I'll spare you the trouble! We're _over_!" The next thing anyone saw was Tara storming off stage and out of the auditorium.

"What was that about?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know." Rachel said as she watched a close to tears Gar go running after Tara.

* * *

Gar came in a few minutes later, looking forlorn. Rachel felt her heart go out to him, but stayed back. She returned to her work.

About half an hour later, she came face to face with Gar, however.

"Hey, Rachel." he said.

"Hey, Gar." she said, "Uh, I couldn't help but hear part of what happened earlier and I want to say that I'm sorry."

"Yeah, whatever." he bit.

'What?" she asked.

"I know you couldn't care less." he said, still in that biting tone, "She told us about your little chat with her, how you don't care what we do or what happens to us."

"And what chat was this?" she asked, her tone no longer sympathetic.

"I don't have to answer to you." he said before leaving her. She just watched him leave. She had never said that, any of it. Sure, she may have hinted at it, but that was just to cover her own hurt. She felt the same hurt bubbling up again. She had to get out of here. She told Lindy that she wasn't feeling good and that she needed to go home. She told Jenny and Jericho that she was leaving, then left. She stormed home, refusing to cry. She got about two blocks from the school when the tears broke free of her eyes.

* * *

She was still crying when she got home. She was startled to see a car that she didn't know in their driveway. She dried her tears as best as she could, then went into the house. "Hello?" she called.

"In here, Rachel." came the calm voice of her father from the front room. She followed the voice and saw her father, Slade, and an old couple looking like they had just had dinner and were in the middle of discussing business.

"Did I miss something?" she asked her father.

"I would like to introduce you to the Smith's. We had a business dinner tonight." her father said, again in that calm voice.

"I wasn't aware of a dinner tonight." she said as she entered the front room completely, "I'm sorry I missed the pleasure." she added, shaking Mr. Smith's hand.

"It was a last minute thing." he father said, "I tried to call, but no one answered. Luckily Wilson was able to make the preparations."

"I'm sorry, I was at a practice for the school play." she said as she shook Mrs. Smith's hand.

"I hear that this year is to be extra special." Mr. Smith said.

"Yes, sir." Rachel said, "We even got permission to use the Victoria Theater (2)."

"Isn't that lovely." Mrs. Smith said, "Are you in the play?"

"No, ma'am, I'm working with props and scenery."

"That's nice." Mrs. Smith said.

"Rachel," her father said, "I will talk to you later. For now go up to your room."

"Yes, sir." she said. She excused herself from their company. As she was heading up the stairs she heard Mrs. Smith ask if it was her eyes or was Rachel's hair purple.

"She got some bad hair dye." he father said.

"You let her dye her hair?" Mr. Smith asked incredulously.

'Shit.'

* * *

Rachel dreaded when the Smith's would leave. She eventually heard the door close and tried to brace herself. She heard her father stomp up the stairs and bust her door open.

"Where the _hell_ where you?" he demanded.

"I told you this morning that I had to go to this thing." she said.

"You didn't even come home to clean up?" he demanded, "I left a message on the machine."

"No, I didn't. It started right after school."

"You are to stay here. Go _nowhere._ Call or talk to _no one_. I'll be back to take care of you later." he said. And with that he left her room.

* * *

He had beaten her before, but this, this was worse. He had taken her dignity, pride and self confidence before, but this was different. Those could be built back up, this was gone forever, there was no getting this back. It was supposed to be her's to give to whom she deemed the right one, but he stole it. She discarded her ripped clothes, those that were still on her, and quickly dressed in lose clothes. She gingerly walked out of her room, leaving her still passed out father on her bed. Tears flowed freely from her eyes. She quietly opened up the front door and went out of the house, not bothering to close it all the way.

She started down the street, wondering where she would go. Should she go to Jenny's? She had promised that she would if she could, but she didn't think she could. She couldn't, not after what he did to her, she couldn't look at any one right now. She found herself in a familiar part of town, she was near the church. She went up to the door and was grateful when it gave. She went in to find it deserted. She sat in a pew and just let it all out.

After she had no more tears to cry, she thought of her situation. She couldn't go back there, but she had no where to go. She looked around her. She saw a picture of a woman that had committed suicide. Azar had let the family have a service for her here when her own church refused to allow it. That woman felt like there was no other way out. Like Rachel felt now. But that was the cowards' way out. Did she want to be a coward? But now that she thought about it, it wasn't a cowardly act, you had to be brave beyond belief to be willing to take your own life. To knowingly do something that would kill you? That took guts. Did she have those?

She did. After all, what was holding her back? No one cared for her. Definitely not her father. Not Gar, Kori, Dick, or Vic. Jenny and Jericho might take it a little hard, but they'd get over it. She had no one and no one wanted her. It was like Tara had said, they would all be happier with out her.

She went to the nurses office in the church where they took injured homeless in and performed what first aide they could. She looked around for what she needed. She grabbed a bottle of painkillers, the kind that would knock anyone out. She then went back to the congregation hall and took the athame; she might as well do this all out. She knew that Azar would need to get a new athame, but they were easy enough to get, any knife would do. She filled the chalice with water from the fountain, went back to the front of the hall and used the water to help her swallow the whole bottle of pills. She picked the anthame up and looked at it. She stared at it for a while, contemplating if she could do this. She had already swallowed the pills, was this really necessary? Everything started to go blurry; she assumed that the pills were starting to take effect. She stared at the anthame a while longer, the sun was beginning to rise. She heard a rustle in the back ground, this stunned her and she gave a jump. The athame pierced her skin. It hurt, it hurt like hell, but it was oddly satisfying. She got some sort of odd pleasure out of it. She finished that wrist, then started to attack the other. When she was done, she looked at her wrists. She slid down the wall to a sitting position, the effects of the pills and the blood leaving her were causing her to be dizzy and light headed. She vaguely thought she heard Azar shout her name, but thought it was just her mind playing tricks as everything went black.

* * *

Rachel was shocked when she came to in a hospital. She groaned and heard a person move. She opened her eyes to see pink fill her still blurry vision. She rubbed her eyes as the pink blob gave her a hug and revealed itself to be Jenny.

"I was so worried!" Jenny said, "They said that you should wake up soon, but that was three days ago! How do you feel?"

Rachel thought about this, "I have a headache, my wrists hurt and I'm thirsty."

"Here, have some water." Jenny said, pouring a glass.

Rachel felt a hand on her arm and looked to see a relieved looking Jericho. "Hey." she said, "Have I really been out for three days?"

He four fingers. "I've been out for four days?" she asked.

"Yes." Jenny said, a small smile still on her face, "I have to go let the nurse know. They said to tell someone if you woke up." Jenny said as she handed Rachel the water. She stood up and left.

Rachel fell back against her pillow. Four days?

"So what's going around school?" she asked Jericho. He lifted his paper and began to write.

"People haven't really seemed to notice." the paper said. She had figured as much, but it still hurt to no that _no one_ noticed her missing. "The teachers haven't said anything because it looks bad on a school- someone trying to commit suicide, no one wants to think of it. Some of those who have noticed you gone think that you either ran away or were sent away. While not agreeing to either of these, we haven't discouraged the rumors either."

Just then Jenny and a nurse came in. The nurse ushered Rachel's friends out so she could do a check up.

"You certainly went through a bit." the nurse said, indicating the bruises. Rachel stayed silent. The nurse remained silent through the rest of the examination. She said everything was as good as could be expected, and that the doctor would be around in a bit.

She left and let Jenny and Jericho back in.

"What did she say?" Jenny asked.

"That it is was as good as was expected." Rachel said.

There was silence.

"What did he do to you, Rachel?" Jenny asked.

"I don't want to get in to it right now." she said.

"Will you talk to us when you are ready?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know." Rachel honestly answered.

"If you decide to, we won't judge." Jenny said, to which Jericho laid a comforting, agreeing hand on Rachel's to convey his assertion of this.

He lifted his paper and wrote, "I won't even talk about it to anyone." and gave her a sad smile as he mimicked zipping his lips shut. The others gave sad chuckles.

"Will you guys not tell anyone in school?" she asked, "About this, I mean." she said, lifting her wrists.

"We promise." Jenny said.

"I'll burn this notebook." Jericho wrote.

"Thanks." she said.

They heard a voice over the PA system say that visiting hours were now over.

"Looks like you picked the worst time to wake up." Jenny said, and gave a small chuckle. Jericho bent over and picked a stack of books up.

"What's this?" Rachel asked, "Homework?"

He shook his head no. Jenny said, "We brought you some books."

"Thanks, guys." she said, "Really."

They gave her a hug before they left. She felt a little uncomfortable about this, but found the warmth and tangible emotion radiating from her friends calming. Rachel picked up one of the books and began to read. The doctor soon came in though.

"Hello, Rachel." she said.

"Hello." she replied sleepily.

"How do you feel?"

"Tired." Rachel said.

"Sleeping makes you tired." the doctor gave a chuckle. "Do you have any questions?

"Why didn't I die?" No point in beating around the bush.

"Two things really." the doctor said, beginning her check up on Rachel, "One, the pills you took were extended release, they hadn't all been absorbed. Two, that Azar woman found you quick and called us right away. I believe that she is also the one who called your friends. She was here yesterday."

"Oh."

"Anything else?" the doctor asked. Rachel shook her head. "Then answer a question or two for me." the doctor said, "Who did this to you?" Rachel froze.

"I don't know." she lied.

"You're lying." the doctor said, "A lot of these bruises are old, very old. And you have minimal self-protection wounds, so you didn't really fight back. Some one you know did this to you." Rachel remained silent. "I guess you don't have to answer me. Just know that I'm only here to help you." she stood up, "Are you in any pain?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want something?"

"That'd be nice."

"Then I'll send a nurse in with a pain killer, probably something in vitro, and I'll see you tomorrow. Get some rest." and with that she left.

Rachel picked her book up and tried to read some more, but soon felt her eyes droop. She soon fell into a deep sleep.

So deep in fact, that she didn't notice the nurse come in with her pain killers or that she got a roommate in the night. A little boy, no older than six or seven, who had been in an accident when a drunk driver ran a red light and rammed into the car the boy and his mother were in.

* * *

Notes:

1) Yeah, I made those color names up. But there really is a black/purple color at Sally's. I didn't make that up.

2) Made that up too. But I based it on a Theater near where I used to live, the Victoria, which I don't own.

Ok, this one isn't too long, but there's another one. I originally had them together, but upon re-reading it, I thought it was best broken up.

So this was the "serious stuff" I warned about last time. I trust that you only read if you felt that you were mature enough, 'cause I'm trusting like that.

Um, about the athame and chalice, from the scene in "The End" where she goes to Azarath, I got a Wiccan vibe, so I based the religion of the church on that and gave it those tools. I dunno.

The real notes are in the next one, if you actually read them that is.

Lemme know! ;)


	11. Chapter 11

Still don't own them.

* * *

_**Centered on Gar**_

Tara still wasn't talking to him. He felt horrible about her. But, oddly, that wasn't the only thing that was bugging him. He remembered his conversation with Rachel. She was only trying to be nice, and he yelled at her. It's not like he had believed Tara when she said that stuff, he was just so hurt that he wanted someone else to hurt too. He had been meaning to apologize to her ever since, but she hadn't been in school.

He brought it up Friday at lunch, "Anyone seen Rachel?"

"No, man." Vic said.

"I have not seen her since Monday when she showed up with her hair the color of purple." Kori said.

"That's the last time I saw her." Dick said, "Hasn't she been in school?"

The others looked at each other, they didn't know.

"Wonder where she is." Gar mused aloud.

"Maybe we can ask Wally if Jenny's told him anything in Home Ec." Vic offered. Just then the bell rang. They all quickly gathered their stuff and left the cafeteria.

"West!" Dick called out.

"Yo." he responded. He was once again at a sewing machine, this time sewing a bag. He didn't tell anyone, but it was for Jenny, for all her books. He was, as usual smiling.

"Has Jenny mentioned where Rachel's been lately?" Vic asked.

"We have not seen our friend in a long while." Kori chipped in.

Instead of a chipper Wally answering happily in the affirmative, like they were expecting, Wally's smile disappeared and he gave a disbelieving grunt. "Some friends." he muttered, almost inaudible to them,

"What?" Gar asked. Surely he hadn't heard Wally right.

"No." Wally said, anger definitely being his foremost emotion. He didn't know Rachel well, but what they did to her was not the actions of "friends". He was a closer friend at this point in time. "No she hasn't. Not that I'd tell you if she did."

A very angry Wally turned his backs on the four. What just happened?

That afternoon, after school, the four congregated at Dick's locker. They needed to find this out.

"I asked the people in the locker next to her's." Vic said, Rachel's locker was on his way as they were alphabetically assigned, "They can't remember seeing her since Monday. Not that that's untypical. Malchoir still bugs her from time to time so she usually tries to avoid being caught by him by getting there at odd times."

"I swear," Gar said, getting angry at the thought of Malchoir, "If that- that dragon hurt her in anyway-" but he was cut off by Kori (1).

"Malchoir was expelled from the school for harassment of a sexual nature (2)." she said, "That was three weeks ago. Rachel been absent for less than a week."

"Then to the source?" Dick asked.

"To the source." the others agreed.

* * *

Jenny, Jericho, Rachel and occasionally Wally, were often seeing heading off to the south entrance after school. Typically they all headed there on Fridays. They always congregated at the big tree in the south side of the school, just outside the exit. That was where Gar, Kori, Vic and Dick were headed.

Jenny and Jericho were listening to Wally saying something and whatever it was wasn't making them happy. Wally saw them coming first and stopped his tale, looking pointedly at them. A scowl on his face. None of them had ever seen the usually happy-go-lucky kid so mad. They wondered what they had done.

Jenny and Jericho turned around, a look of anger on the blonde and pure venom seeping out of the pink headed girl. Gar was petrified.

"What do you want?" Jenny spat.

"We want to know if you've seen Rachel." Dick said.

"What's it to you?" she answered his question with another question.

"We are her friends." Kori said weakly.

"Like I said earlier," Wally said, "Some friends." Vic stole a look at the quiet one, Jericho. He had a look that was a mixture of incredulous disgust and anger playing on his features.

"Look," he said, "obviously we missed something." The three he was addressing gave him "You think?" looks, "But we're noticing now."

"Too late." Jenny said. She turned her back on them and started to march off. Wally threw them one final sneer, then ran off to Jenny. Jericho looked each of the offending "friends" in the eye one by one. He then spat on the ground and promptly turned to catch up with the other two. That was the angriest they had ever seen their silent classmate. (3)

* * *

"Well that went well." Vic, the first to recover speech, commented.

"What the _hell_ just happened?" Gar asked.

"We have messed up in the way of a military officer." Kori said.

"She means we messed up major." Dick translated.

"The question is, what did we mess up?" Vic asked the group.

"No." Gar said, "It's what did we miss?"

The four stood there, watching the angry trio go, not south like they were known to do on Fridays, but east. "What's that way?" Dick asked.

"Not much." Vic answered, "The old school, a few plazas, the hospital, stuff like that."

"I wonder where they are going." Kori said.

"I don't think we should go to Rachel's house." Dick said, "Her father would just get mad at her."

"What say we discuss this over pizza?" Vic said as his stomach gave a growl, "I gotta eat up. I have a tournament tomorrow and I'm ten pounds under weight. Then we can go to my house and try the new Monkey Men video game I got."

"Can't." Gar said, "I got family coming over."

"We'll see you tomorrow at the wrestling match then?" Dick asked.

"Yeah." Gar said, "Nine o'clock, right?"

"I'm picking you up at 8:30, Gar." Dick reminded him.

"8:30, right." Gar said, making a mental note, "Got it, see you then." He then started the trek home.

* * *

When Gar got home, he saw his family already there.

"Gar!" his little cousin, Tommy, called when he walked in the gate. Tommy came running up to him, arms outstretched. Gar grabbed him and lifted him up in the air.

"Little Dude!" Gar called up to the small child in his hands. Tommy was six (going to be seven in three months, as Tommy constantly reminded everyone) and was the son of his mother's youngest sister. Gar's aunt had recently divorced her husband, Tommy's father, when she caught him cheating, and had just settled everything. They were going to be staying with Gar's grandparents for a while.

He put Tommy on his shoulders and headed into the house.

"Are you an actor now, Gar?" Tommy asked from his perch on Gar's shoulders.

"In a school play." Gar answered.

"Cool!" Tommy said.

"Gar, be careful." Gar's dad said.

"I will, dad."

"What?" asked Gar's Aunt Kathy, "Tommy! Get down from there! You're going to hurt Gar."

"He's fine, Aunt Kathy." Gar said.

"Yeah, mom. I'm fine!" Tommy said. 'Gotta love family idolatry.' Gar thought.

* * *

The evening passed smoothly, the only draw back being when Gar's mother made the mistake of bringing his aunt's ex-husband up. But when they left to go back to Gar's grandparents house, things were happy as ever.

Gar went to the rec room and attempted to do his homework, but found himself unable to concentrate. He was about to call Vic's house to see if it was too late to go over now that his family had left, when the phone rang. He heard his mother answer it and could tell from her end that it wasn't good.

He left the rec room and went into the kitchen where his parents were. He saw his mother hang up and break down in sobs.

"Marie, what's wrong?" Gar's father asked.

"It's Kathy and Tommy." Gar's mother said, "They were hit by a drunk driver." Gar felt his stomach drop.

"Are they ok?" Gar's father asked, "Where are they?"

"Kathy's fine, just a slight concussion and a broken arm, but Tommy has to go into surgery. Mark, I'm scared he might not make it."

"Are they in Jump City Hospital?" Gar asked. His mother nodded.

"Get your coat." Gar's father said, "Let's go."

* * *

All of Gar's family were in the hospital waiting room. Gar's mother and grandmother where in the ER with his aunt. It was after midnight when they came out to tell the rest of them that Tommy was out of surgery, and that he was expected to make a quick recovery. Gar took a deep breath.

That night Gar's house, being the closest to the hospital, was very full. Gar's grandparents slept in the guest room, Gar gave his room to his aunt, the hide-away in the rec room was given to his other aunt and her husband, their two kids sprawled out on the floor and Gar was on the couch in the front room.

* * *

_He was once again in the auditorium for practice, but no one else was there. "Hello?" he called out, but, as expected, no one answered him. "I don't have time for this." he said aloud, "I should be at the hospital checking up on Tommy." _

_"Hello?" he heard an uncertain voice call out. A voice he knew._

_"Rachel?" he asked. Sure enough, Rachel come into view, coming down from her former perch in the catwalk above him, no doubt making sure that some backdrop was in place or something._

_"What are you doing here?" she asked. Her tone was not empty, like usual, but full of something. Hurt, sadness? Yes, these and something else. _

_"Waiting to practice." he said, "Where's everyone else?"_

_"They left." she said, the hurt and sadness still in her voice, accompanied by something else. What was it? "They always leave." she continued._

_"What?" he asked, taken aback by her last statement. But he could place the emotion now, loneliness. Rachel was lonely._

_"Nothing." she said with the air of someone trying to quickly cover a mistake they made. She momentarily pushed one of her sleeves up to get it out of her way and he saw a bruise, a large one, and a scar._

_"Rachel?" he asked her, indicating the arm. She quickly covered it like her earlier slip of the tongue. "What happened?"_

_"Nothing." she said, but he could tell she was lying. _

_"Rachel, you know you can tell me, right?" he asked, sympathy in his voice._

_"What ever." she said, her usual biting tone back, "I think you're girlfriend needs you." _

_"What?" he asked._

_"Tara, your girlfriend, I think she needs you." she said, her tone even more biting if that was possible. _

_"But, we broke up." he stammered, "You know that."_

_"Sure." she said, turning her back on him. He heard her mummer something that sounded like. "Player."_

_"Excuse me?" he demanded, "I tried to help you if I remember correctly, but you pushed me away!"_

_"I had to." she said, tears in her eyes, but he was too angry to notice._

_"Why, Rachel? Huh? Why did you have to?" he screamed, "Oh, that's right, you hate me!"_

_"I don'-" she started, but he cut her off._

_"Yes, you do! You hate me! You hate Kori! You hate Vic! You hate Dick! You definitely hated Tara!" he screamed._

_"I don't hate you!" she screamed, it was then that he saw her tears, "I love you." At this she broke down, fell to her knees and sobbed openly into her hands._

_Gar was left stunned. She didn't hate him? What was more, she loved him. He looked at the broken Rachel in front of him and ran the length of the stage to her. "I-" he started, but he too began to cry, "I love you, too." he stammered out. He wrapped her in his arms and held her close to him. He planted butterfly kisses on her head and tried to soothe the girl crying into his chest. _

_"Please," he pleaded, "please let me help you. I want to help. Let me be your bastion in times of trouble. Please...let me love you." She looked up into his eye. Her gaze was searching and he never flinched. She gave an almost imperceptible nod, then leaned in and kissed him. _

Gar shot up from the couch he was on. "What the hell was that?" he asked himself. He took a deep breath as he collected his bearing. He should not have had that banana right before bed. But that dream-. Odd though it was, it felt right.

He lay back down on the couch and looked at the ceiling, watching the lights of passing cars play off it. He had some thinking he had to do.

Little did he know that fifteen minutes away, in room 370 of Jump City Hospital, Rachel was having the same dream.

* * *

_**Back to Rachel**_

Rachel shot up in her bed. Man, that dream was weird. She shook it from her mind as best as she could, then got up to get a drink of water. She picked up the pitcher, which was a god-awful shade of pink, and made to pour a glass of water, but found it empty. Oh, well, she needed to stretch her legs anyway.

She carefully stood up, grabbed her "buddy" in one hand and the pitcher in the other (4). She walked around the curtain that had been pulled while she was asleep and looked in the other bed, curious as to why it was pulled. There she saw a little boy, fast asleep.

'Poor thing.' she thought, 'Wonder what happened.'

Pushing these thought aside, she continued her pursuit of water. She left the room and saw a nurse coming toward her.

"What are you doing up?" the nurse asked her. It was, after all, 4:30 in the morning.

"I wanted some water and I was out." Rachel said, holding up the empty pitcher, "I needed to stretch my legs anyway."

"Well, let me have the pitcher if you want ice." the nurse said kindly. Rachel handed her the pitcher.

"Can I still walk a bit?" Rachel asked.

"Sure thing." the nurse said.

Rachel walked around the floor, circling the pediatric floor, then went back into her room. She looked at the sleeping boy and again wondered what happened to him. She found her pitcher refilled and placed on her bed side table. She poured herself a glass of water and laid down as she sipped it. Her thoughts drifted to her dream. Part of it didn't surprise her really, she had long ago accepted that she liked Gar in a "more than friends" way, but what did get her was that she never thought he could return those feelings. 'It was probably an effect of the drugs they have me on.' she thought as she finished her water and set the cup down. 'Yeah, that's it. Just an effect of the drugs. Or wishful thinking.'

She rolled over and closed her eyes. Soon her soft snores were heard and she drifted off into another sleep. This one, however, was in no remote way a good dream.

_She was coming out of the church after a service. She was humming a song that Melvin, a girl she watched in the day care center, had taught her about finding a peanut (5). She wasn't two steps away from the door when four very familiar faces caught up to her._

_"Rachel!" came Gar's voice, "What the hell are you doing?"_

_"Coming out of church." she said, as though that was the most obvious thing in the world. She _had_ just come out of a church, after all. _

_"Yeah, sure." Dick said, "Like you go to church." Rachel just motioned soundlessly at the door she had just closed on her way out._

_"This is probably some sort of mind control cult thing or something." Gar said._

_"Only you would bring mind control into this." Rachel scoffed._

_"I too believe they are doing the controlling of your mind, Rachel." Kori said. Rachel stared incredulously at her. Was she serious?_

_"Come on, girl." Vic said, "We're holding an intervention." _

_"What?" Rachel asked, wrenching her arm from his grasp._

_"An intervention." Dick said, "It's obvious you need one." _

_"And why is this?" she asked them._

_"You are turning to the occult." Kori said._

_"No I'm not." Rachel protested. What was with them? But they continued to try to take her somewhere and used force as she obviously didn't want to go willingly. She broke free of their grasp and ran for all she was worth. They were following her, she could hear their footsteps behind her. She kept running, but looked around and saw that it was like she was running on a treadmill, no matter how fast or how far she ran, she was staying in the same spot. They eventually caught up to her, though she was unsure how they got behind her when she hadn't moved, and tried to grab her again. _

_"I am telling you," she said as she struggled against their grasp. "I'm not going to the occult!"_

_"Yes, you are, Rachel." came the voice of Slade Wilson. _

_"What the hell?" Rachel asked aloud. _

_"Here, we worship Trigon the Terrible." Azar said as she came out of the church, which was still right behind Rachel, "And it is time for the sacrifice of the virgin." Azar and the Satterthwaites started to grab for Rachel. _

_"Stop." Slade commanded, "She is not a virgin." _

_"Slut!" Gar shouted at her, "And to think, I almost liked you!" Kori looked shocked at Rachel, and Vic and Dick just shook their heads at her in disappointment. _

_"What shall we do?" Azar asked Slade._

_"The only thing we can do." he said, a wicked grin on his face, "We replace her with her friends. All of them." He then gave an evil laugh, "Mwahahahaha!" _

_Several monks came out of the church and grabbed Gar, Kori, Vic and Dick, and three more showed up holding Jenny, Jericho and Wally. Rachel watched as her seven friends struggled against their captors, but all was in vain. _

_"We will make her watch." Slade said with an evil smirk. Two more monks appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her. They were all lead through the church and into the courtyard that Rachel had once been so taken with. But it was no longer the same courtyard. This courtyard was much larger and held a giant red monster version of her father, sitting on the fountain that now looked like a hand propping him up, and surrounded by lava. _

_Tara walked out from behind him and looked Rachel straight in the eye, "They would've been better off with out you." she said with a smirk to match that of Slade's. She walked over to Slade and gave him a hug, then turned to Rachel again, "But now they must die." _

_Slade looked down on Tara like a father to a child, he then looked to Rachel with cold hatred in his eyes, then to Azar and made a motion. Azar signaled to the first two monks, who were holding Gar. They walked up to Trigon who, being massive, had no trouble with picking Gar up and-_

Rachel immediately shot up out of bed and started to lash at her bandages. They _weren't going_ to die because of her. No! She would die first.

All her noise woke the little boy in the next bed up and he, afraid of monsters, quickly paged the nurses. They quickly, and heavily, sedated Rachel, then calmed the boy down, simply saying that his neighbor had a bad dream.

_**Back to Gar**_

Gar had a phone right next to his head and it startled him out of sleep when it went off the next morning at eight. Gar, thinking it was the hospital, picked it up right away.

"Hello? What's wrong? How's Tommy?" he demanded of the person on the other end.

"Gar, relax. It's Dick. I was calling to let you know that I was on my way to your place." Dick said, "Who's Tommy?"

"Jesus Christ, Dick. I thought you were someone form the hospital." Gar said.

"The hospital?"

"My aunt and cousin were in an accident when a drunk driver ran a red light. My aunt's fine, but Tommy had to have surgery and then had to be admitted."

"Jesus, Gar, I'm sorry." Dick said.

"It's ok. I'm just not going to be able to go today. Tell Vic good luck for me?"

"Sure thing." Dick said, "What happened to the drunk driver?"

"No clue." Gar said.

"Well, I hope that he goes to jail or something."

"Same here. And may I say that one's of the nicer ill-wishes he's getting." Gar joked.

"Well, I hope all goes well."

"Thanks, man." Gar said.

"See you Monday." Dick said.

"See ya." Gar said before hanging up. He put the phone back in the cradle and looked up to see his father standing there. "It was just Dick." he said.

"Kind of figured." his father said, "Help me make breakfast?"

"Sure." Gar said, standing up and stretching, "Let's make pancakes with soy milk and see if Uncle Richie notices."

"Even in the face of a family crisis, you make jokes?" his father asked, but there was with humor in his voice.

"What can I say," Gar said, "it's what I do." His father laughed and ruffled his hair.

* * *

It was 9:30 when Gar, his father and his grandfather got to the hospital. His aunt, mother and grandmother had left almost immediately after waking up, and his other aunt, her husband and their two kids were coming later. In his hand, Gar had a toy counting monkey from his youth that Tommy often played with.

They went up to the front desk and asked where Tommy's room was. The nurse told them that he was in room 370. They boarded the elevator and went up to the third floor. They found the room and entered. Tommy had the bed closer to the door and the curtain was pulled around the other bed, but he heard soft feminine snores coming from behind them.

Gar's thoughts on the patient behind the curtain were ended by Tommy's weak voice calling, "Gar!"

"Little dude!" Gar said, "Here, I brought this for you." he said, handing him the monkey.

"Awesome!" Tommy said, taking the monkey. He immediately wound it and let it go.

"Tommy," Gar's aunt said, "you have a neighbor who's sleeping. We don't want to wake her."

"Aw, but mom!" Tommy complained, "It's a _girl_! I could get cooties!"

"I got just the thing." Gar said, "Close your eyes." Tommy did so. Gar dunked his fingers in the water pitcher and splashed the water on them in Tommy's face, "There." he said, pretending to put something in his pocket, "Anti-cootie spray, my own recipe. Never go anywhere with out it. That will cover you for a whole week." (6)

"Really?" Tommy asked, "Can I see it?"

"Oh, no." Gar said in a very serious voice, "Then it won't work."

"Then how come you get to see it?" Tommy pouted.

"'Cause I made it." Gar said matter-of-factly, "I have to see it. Besides, I have my dad put it on me." Gar added, pointing over his should to his father.

"It's true you know." Gar's father said, "And he puts it on me."

"Ok." Tommy said, very seriously. Gar felt a smile fight to break out.

"How you feeling, buddy?" Gar's grandfather asked.

Tommy got a scrunched up look, "Achy." he said, "I want to stretch, but they won't let me. Something' 'bout my stishes."

"Your stitches?" Gar's aunt asked.

"Yeah, those." he said, then turned to Gar, "You know they saw my insides?" he asked excitedly.

"Really?" Gar asked, acting like he was in awe and slightly jealous.

"Yeah." Tommy said, "But it hurts today." he added.

"I bet." Gar said.

"You wanna sign my cast?" Tommy asked, indicating his right foot.

"I thought you'd never ask." Gar said, grabbing the marker the hospital gave Tommy.

* * *

Gar went with his parents, grandparents and aunt to get lunch when his other aunt and family got there.

When he went back up he saw three unlikely people in the elevator, Jenny, Wally and Jericho.

"Hey, guys." he said nervously, remembering yesterday.

"Finally figured it out, huh?" Jenny asked, her tone still biting.

"Figured what out?" he asked. The trio which were still very mad just shook their heads.

"Then what _are_ you doing here?" Jenny asked.

"My cousin was in an accident." Gar said, "I'm visiting. What are you guys doing here?"

"Visiting." Jenny said, "What floor your cousin on?"

"Third." he said, "What's wrong?" he asked when she gave an exasperated sigh.

"Nothing." Wally said, "What room the kid in?"

"370." at this, Jericho hit his head on the wall.

"What's wrong?"

"Obviously nothing that concerns you." Jenny said, now mad.

"Ok, we know we missed something, but what was it?" he asked when the elevator doors opened. Jenny just got off and stormed away.

He turned to Wally and Jericho, "What just happened?" he asked.

Jericho just shook his head and followed Jenny. Gar looked to Wally.

"You'll see in a minute." was all the red, almost orange, headed kid said.

"What?" Gar said.

"Come on." Wally said, leading Gar to 370.

"How'd you know where the room is? It took my dad, grandpa and I ten minutes to find it."

"This is the third time I've been here." was all Wally said as he walked in, leaving Gar as confused as ever.

'Must be visiting that girl in the other bed.' Gar decided as he walked in. The curtain was still drawn, hiding the sleeping girl in the next bed. His curiosity peaked, he looked around and saw Jenny and Jericho sitting next to a girl around their age. Something about her seemed familiar, though all he saw was a really bruised arm above a bandage covering the wrist and lower forearm lying on her side, as the girl was on her side, slightly curled. The girl's face was covered by her hair, which was black, but in certain lights it looked- purple.

"Rea?" he asked as it hit him like a ton of bricks.

* * *

Notes:

1) Too much? I thought it was ok, but that's me. Lemme know, please.

2) Same thing, too much? I just kinda figured that it worked, but , as always, lemme know.

3) I like mad Jericho. I dunno why, but I do. Plus, he would be scary when he's mad. Think about it, which is scarier when you're parents are mad: when their yelling their heads off turning interesting shades of pink, red and purple; or when you know you're in trouble, but they aren't saying a word? I definitely find the second way scarier.

4) For those of you who don't know what I mean by "buddy", it's the metal pole that the IV bags are on.

5) For those of you who know the song, it is "Found a Peanut". A song that was quite popular in elementary school, at least at my elementary school, along with "The Ghost of John".

6) Hehe, anti-cootie spray. That's a little trick I picked up babysitting. That and hic-up cure potions. Just so everyone's aware, I based Tommy on two boys in my family, one of which was my brother in his younger, more innocent days.

I was asked where I got the Harry Potter reference from (grabs armor) it was from the movie (dodges things being thrown by readers). Yes, I am a bad person for quoting from a movie (the first one where Dumbledore explains that the idea that you could only get the stone if you wanted to find it but not use it was one of his better ideas) and not the book, but that's something that always stuck out in my mind for some reason, and it just seemed to fit. I dunno. More for humor than anything really.

The dreams are the property of two of my readers. The first one, the one that both Gar and Rachel had on the stage, is the property of Agent of the Divine One, and the second one, with Trigon the Terrible and evil Slade, is the property of Teenyugiohpotterphantom. Much thanks to both of you!

Umm, I think that's it for now. Thanks for reading! And, once again, lemme know! ;)


	12. Chapter 12

Sadly, I don't own them.

* * *

_**Still on Gar**_

"What the hell happened to her?" he asked, not caring who heard or if he woke her or his now sleeping cousin.

"Like you care." Jenny bit.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"What ever you want it to." she said, venom in her voice. He looked to Jericho for help, but the blonde refused to look at him, looking only at Rachel's sleeping form.

"How long has she been in here?" he asked.

"She was admitted early last Tuesday morning," came the voice of Wally, "She was in ICU until Wednesday evening, when they moved her here. She woke up for the first time yesterday."

"She was out for that long?" he asked, "What happened to her?"

No one said anything, but he noticed the bandages on her wrists and saw them in a whole new light. He realized their importance. "Did she-" but he couldn't finish the question. Jericho gave him a sad look that told him his suspicions were correct.

"But why?" he asked.

"That's her business, not yours." Wally said. It was the most serious and dangerous Gar had ever heard the jokester's voice.

* * *

Gar couldn't believe it. He thought she might have been sick or skipping. Never did he imagine this. Needless to say that this was one twenty four hour cycle he wouldn't mind forgetting. It just wasn't his day.

Around six o'clock, his family went to get some dinner and he left with them. Jenny, Jericho and Wally had just left. He and his family were just getting off the elevator, however, when he heard something to pull him out of his reverie.

"Yo. Gar!" came the voice of Vic. He looked up and saw Vic, Kori and Dick walking in, Vic had a medal around his neck.

"Gar! It was most glorious at the tournament of wrestling! Vic was victorious!" Kori said, "But I am most saddened by your cousins condition."

Gar said nothing. How was he going to tell them? Could he tell them?

"What's wrong, Gar?" Dick asked, "Is it something with Tommy?"

"No." Gar said, "It's not Tommy." How the hell was he going to do this?

"What is it, friend?" Kori asked.

"Yeah, Gar, what's up?" Vic asked.

Gar turned to his family. His parents gave him knowing looks and ushered the family off to give Gar some time.

"We'll bring you back something." his father said.

Gar led them over to a seating area that was deserted. At first there was silence, only broken by the distant conversation of other people and the weather man talking about how rain was coming.

"Gar, what is it, man?" Vic asked, "I haven't seen you like this since they canceled the _Mega Monkey Men_ comics." (1)

Gar took a deep breath. "I know where Rachel's been this week." he finally said.

"Please, why is this cause for despair?" Kori asked.

Gar took another deep breath, "Here." he said, "She tried to kill herself, guys. She's been in a near-coma state and we barely even noticed she was missing." he put his face in his hands.

"She tried to kill herself?" Dick asked, being the first able to talk after hearing the news, "Why?"

"I don't know." Gar said, "Jenny, Jericho and Wally wouldn't tell me."

"They know?" Vic asked.

"Yeah." Gar said.

"Why did they not tell us?" Kori asked, tears flowing from her eyes.

"They thought we didn't care."

"Where is she?" Vic asked.

"The same room as Tommy. That's how I found out." Gar said.

"Then we shall go see her." Kori said standing up.

"She's out like a light." Gar said, "The doctors seemed to want to keep her out for some reason."

"Then we shall at least be there for her now." Kori said as she headed to the elevator.

"What room is she in?" Dick asked.

"370." Gar said, "But there's some thing else I gotta tell you guys." he added, thinking about the bruises.

"You can tell us on the elevator." Vic said.

"Friends, the moving room is here." Kori said. And they boarded the elevator, Gar taking a deep breath, preparing to tell them.

* * *

_**Back to Rachel**_

Rachel felt groggy and just wanted to sleep, but she heard crying. Loud crying. She knew that voice. But who was it?

"I can't believe it." another familiar voice said. She squinted her eyes, trying to block out the noise, she just wanted to go back to sleep.

"I know." another familiar voice said, why wouldn't these voices, still unplaced, let her sleep? That's all she wanted, was it really so much to ask.

"How long has she been in here?" said a fourth voice. The previous voice answered him. There were three guys and a crying girl. Ok, she knew their genders, and that she knew them, but who were they? And why wouldn't they leave and let her sleep? She could still hear an unnaturally high pitched voice saying, "Help me, help me, help me count!". She just wanted it all to end.

"Since Tuesday morning." the previous voice answered.

"Oh, we are bad friends!" said the crying one, "Why did we not see this earlier?"

"She didn't want us to, Kori." said the fourth voice. She suddenly knew who all the voices were. Her eye's snapped open.

"Rachel!" Kori screamed and ran forward to give her a rib breaking hug.

"Kori," said Gar, "I don't think you should do that."

"I am so happy to see you awaken!" Kori exclaimed. Rachel could feel the headache start to form.

"How you feeling, girl?" Vic asked.

"I wonder." Rachel said sarcastically. She made her voice sound more biting than she really felt though, her dream still running through her mind.

"Sorry." Vic said, blushing and looking at his feet.

"What are you guys doing here?" Rachel asked them, "I made the others promise not to tell."

"They didn't." Dick assured her, "It's more like- fate that brought us here."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, not in the mood for riddles.

"My aunt and cousin were in a accident when a drunk driver ran a light and hit them. My cousin, Tommy, is your new neighbor." Gar said, gesturing at the sleeping Tommy in the next bed.

"What happened, Rachel?" Dick asked.

"What do you know?" Rachel asked.

"Just that you tried to kill yourself and that someone beat the hell out of you." Vic said.

"That's all you need to know." Rachel said.

"But, Rachel-" Kori began.

"No." said, of all people, Gar, "We tried to pry for information before, and it practically killed the friendship. If she doesn't want to tell us, I guess she doesn't have to."

"That was surprisingly mature of you." Rachel said.

"What can I say?" he asked, "I have my moments."

They all gave a nervous chuckle.

"But let me tell you that Jenny and Jericho almost killed me when they saw me earlier." Gar said.

"They were also short with us when we saw them." Kori said.

"They were here?" Rachel asked.

"And Wally." Gar said, "They went to get Aggie and get something to eat."

"So Jericho finally put the moves on her?" Rachel asked. "I sure have missed a lot."

"Jericho and Aggie?" Dick asked.

"Oh, yes, it has been most obvious for a while now that they had the feelings for each other."

"It has?" Gar asked.

"Kinda like Kori and Dick before they started dating." Rachel said. At this, said couple blushed. Gar smiled at her. "What?" she asked him.

"I've missed you." he said.

* * *

"So how have you been?" Gar asked after an awkward silence.

Rachel gave a sarcastic "hmmm" in reply.

"Heh." Gar said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "Dumb question."

"You think?" she bit. She really just wanted them to leave so she wouldn't have to feel so damned uncomfortable. And so she could go back to sleep.

"Does your father know?" Dick asked cautiously.

Rachel paled at the mention of her father. But his asking the question made her wonder. The doctors said the Jenny, Jericho and Wally had been there. They said Azar had been there. But they never mentioned her father. She was spared having to answer by Azar coming in.

"Rachel!" she cried, "You're up!" Azar came over and hugged Rachel. Not a rib-cracking hug like Kori, but a loving hug. It reminded Rachel of her mother. She fought back tears. "I was so worried when I found you and then when you didn't wake up! Then the doctor told me that your father-" but Azar silenced at the look on Rachel's face. It was a pleading look that Azar had only seen in the eyes of the girl once, but at the time the girl was delirious with pain killers and blood loss.

"Rea? Your father did this to you?" Gar asked. Rachel's silence confirmed it. "Oh, god, Rea! Why didn't you tell someone?"

"My name's not Rea." she said, trying to divert the line of conversation to a more comfortable zone. She did not want to talk about her father. Not yet.

But things never did go her way, "You're trying to change the subject, Rachel." he said.

"What was I supposed to say?" she demanded in a low tone, "Do you have any idea of the shame I've felt? Do you know what kind of ridicule I'd get? The remarks people would make? I try to act like I don't care, like it doesn't effect me, but it does! It does!" Tears were streaming down her face, Azar took her hand. "And besides, what good would it have done? None. The only thing it would've done would've been to piss off my father and he'd of just hit harder. People would've been even more afraid of me than they already are. No. It wouldn't of been worth it."

"How do you know?" Gar asked, "You never even told anyone to-"

But Rachel cut him off, "Oh, I've told people before, that's how I know. I told my kindergarten teacher when she asked why I had so many bruises. She told the principal who called the police. My father told them I had accidentally seen a movie he was watching about a man who abused his kids and that I must of gotten the idea from that. That in all actuality, I was a clumsy, accident-prone kid. They believed him, not me. They took away my recess for lying and he just hit harder. I told Malchoir. He called me a freak. I've told people. Don't say I haven't."

"Rea, I-" Gar said. The others were too stunned to say anything. "I didn't know."

"Well, now you do." she said. She then, in another effort to change the subject, turned to Azar, "How are the kids?"

"They're fine." Azar said, smiling sadly at Rachel, "They made you these." she pulled a small stack of get well cards the kids at the day care center made for her. "And Melvin is excited to teach you a new song she learned, something about- gopher guts (2)." Azar shivered. Rachel gave a small chuckle looking at the cards the children made her. "Unfortunately, I have to go though." Azar said, "We have a fund raiser in a few weeks and I have an appointment with the manager of a moving company to see if we can borrow a truck to move any material donations we get."

"What's it for?" Kori asked.

"Shelters for the homeless." Azar said, "Everybody likes tax cuts, but less tax money means less public funds. Money for schools and shelters are some of the first things cut, then the police and fire stations. As much as we hate having to pay them, taxes are a necessary evil." (3)

"Anybody sign up for that literacy thing I proposed?" Rachel asked.

"Quite a few." Azar said, a large smile on her face, "We're just waiting for you to get better so you can head it." She gave Rachel a hug. Part of Rachel wished she wouldn't let go. "I do have to go now. I'll stop in when I can. Bye, Rachel." Azar turned to the others, "Nice meeting you."

The other four returned her sentiments and Azar left. Rachel busied herself with rereading and examining the cards from the kids.

"Rachel?" Kori asked.

"Yes, Kori?"

"What is 'literacy'?"

Rachel thought about a suitable definition. That was a hard one. "Um, being able to read, I guess." she scratched her head, "If you can read, you're literate. If you can't read, you're illiterate."

"I see." Kori said, "May I do the helping of the 'literacy thing'."

"You want to?" Rachel asked, an eyebrow cocked.

"Oh, yes." Kori said, "Reading is also a problem in my home country. I wish to help in any way that I may."

"We all will." Dick said. Vic and Gar nodded.

"If you're sure." Rachel said, a little uncertain.

"Very much so." Kori said, "Shall I bring books from my home country?" she asked excitedly.

"Let's just teach them to read in English, Kori. Your books may confuse them." Dick said.

"I see." Kori said.

"Not to mention scare them." Gar mused.

"You were the only one scared, Gar." Dick quipped.

"You should've seen him, Rachel!" Vic exclaimed, "Kori was reading a few bedtime storied from her childhood, translating them into English, of course, and Gar here was shaking like we were watching a Wicked Scary!"

"I was not!" Gar protested.

"Were too." Dick said.

"Ok, so I was, but they _were_ as scary as Wicked Scary." he defended.

"You should read some of my books." Rachel said. A smirk on her face.

"I think I'll pass." Gar blanched.

* * *

"So what's going to happen now?" Dick asked after they finished discussing what was happening with the play. Apparently Leia had had a nervous breakdown when Rachel didn't show up for three days, but other than that, things were running smoothly, even if a little slower and not as organized.

"What to you mean?" Rachel asked him.

"Well, when you get out." he clarified himself, "You can't go home."

"I have to." she said stiffly. She really didn't want to talk about this.

"But you can't." Vic said.

"Like I said, I have to." she repeated.

"Why?" Kori asked.

"I have no where else to go." she said, "Look, can we please talk about something else?"

"But Rachel-" Gar began.

"_Please_?" she asked again, cutting him off.

Gar took on a false thinking look, "Ok," he said, "but just because you asked so nicely and you're in the hospital." But his face clearly showed that he did not want to change the topic.

"Speaking of being in the hospital," Dick said, picking up on Gar's not pushing, "Any word on what happened to who put Tommy in here?"

"No." Gar said, looking over to his sleeping cousin, "I think he's in here somewhere."

"What happened?" Rachel asked, "I wasn't awake earlier when you explained it."

"Some drunk driver ran a red light and hit my aunts right side. My aunt, who was in the left side, obviously, only had a small concussion and broke her left arm against her door. Tommy, who had been on the right side, got more of the brunt and had some internal damage. He went through surgery and is expected to make a speedy recovery."

"Do you know who the driver was?" Vic asked.

"No." Gar said.

"Thanks goodness that it was a car and not a truck of picking up or a vehicle with the utility of a sport." Kori said.

"What kind of car was it?" Vic asked. Typical guy, wondering about the car.

"A BMW, I think." Gar said off handedly, "I do know that it was silver. My aunt said that it reflected the lights so brightly her eyes hurt."

"That would be platinum." Vic said.

"I'll take the expert's word for it, but beg forgiveness for my aunt's lack of attention to the exact color, she was a bit preoccupied at the time." Gar said.

"True." Vic said, mock consideration in his voice, "And I will grant your aunt my forgiveness." he then added gravely, "But if she ever gets it wrong again…" he left his mocking threat open to the imagination.

"I'll be sure to warn her." Gar laughed. He looked at Rachel, "You ok? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Rachel snapped out of her reverie. "Oh, yeah." she said, "Sorry, they got me on some pain killers that make me a little out there."

"Rachel Roth out there?" Dick asked, chuckling, "This is a once in a life time occurrence!"

"Quickly!" Kori exclaimed, "We must gather paper and pen so that we may take detailed notes so we may tell our children of this event!"

Everyone laughed. Even Rachel made an attempt to chuckle convincingly. But her mind was not on the joke at her expense, it was on the description of the car.

* * *

At this point in time, two interruptions in the forms of Gar's other cousins came running in.

"Gar! Gar!" they called, he quickly shushed them so they didn't wake Tommy up, then asked them what they wanted to tell him. "The guy that hit Tommy and Aunt Kathy died!" the younger said.

"He did?" Gar asked torn between pity for the man's family and a grim satisfaction, "Who was it?"

"Some Roth guy." the older said as though that wasn't important, "Some funny T name or other." They all looked at Rachel.

She looked like she had been hit with a truck. She just stared ahead, but her stare was unseeing. Her breaths were shallow and she soon felt light-headed. Her mind was reeling and yet blank. A million things were running through her empty head, or at least that was how it felt.

"Rea?" Gar asked. She looked at him like she just noticed he was there.

At this time, Gar's parents came in. "Rachel." Mrs. Logan said.

Mr. Logan led the two kids that had come bounding in with the news out of the room. Jenny, Jericho, Wally and Aggie came in shortly after. The doctor had told them, wanting them to be the ones to tell Rachel, thinking that it would be easier to hear it from friends.

"Rachel?" Jenny asked after she was told that Rachel already knew.

"Yeah?" Rachel asked in a far away voice.

"How are you feeling?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know." Rachel answered truthfully, "I don't know."

"The doctor said Children Services has been called." Jenny said, trying to keep some form of conversation moving, "A representative should be here tomorrow."

"Ok." was all she said.

"Is there anything you need?" Aggie asked.

"No." Rachel said, "I'm fine." she broke out into a small smile and looked Aggie in the eyes, "I'm fine."

* * *

She was free. Free. She would never have to clean after one of his drunken nights. She would never have to act the perfect daughter again. He would never lay another hand on her. He would never- never-

She was free.

She felt a little bubble of happiness form in her that hadn't been there in a while. A long time really. But it was there now. And it felt good to have it back.

Free.

But what would she do? She had no relatives, no one to take her in. Where would she go?

She didn't care right now, she was free.

And happy.

* * *

Notes:

1) Ok, so in one of my other stories, I needed the name of a comic book, and Mega Monkey Men just seemed to come to me. I didn't know where it came from, but I liked it and used it. Since then it has come to my attention that Mega Monkeys is a videogame on the show, so I've decided that, in my fanfic world anyway, it is a franchise. They have Mega Monkey Men videogames (though that's just Mega Monkeys, same difference, right?), comics, action figures, first reader books, a Saturday morning cartoon and a whole line of young kids apparel. Just go with me on this one. Please!

2) The song is "Great Green Globs of Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts". Another song popular in my elementary school. My uncle forbids me to teach it to his kids. I think that is a travesty. It is a song every child should be exposed to once. Even if it is disgusting. If you don't know the words, and are curious, lemme know and leave a signed/verified review and I will send you the words. But be warned, they are ICKY!

3) Yes, that is a political view of mine. Feel free to disagree, but this is how I feel. If you see the need to flame, please don't let it be about that.

So Trigon is no more. I got a lot of people requesting that or the like. I hope I satisfied everyone. Or at least the majority.

Oh, and I'm glad so many other people like angry Jericho! Hehe! I like Jericho. I've tried to write something about him, but it never works. It frustrates me. I got an idea! (smiles evily) This is your mission, should you chose to accept it (since Mission Impossible is big now) find or write a Jericho fiction. Then let me know. Thank you. Luckily for you, this isn't a real transmission, so it won't self destruct.

'Til next time, lemme know!


	13. Chapter 13

Don't own them.

* * *

The representative from Children Services showed up the next day at noon. Her friends left her and Gar's family left the sleeping Tommy to give them some privacy.

"Hello, Rachel." the man said, "My name is Mark Rogerson, but you can call me Mark."

"Uh, thanks." she said.

"I first want to offer you my condolences about your father." Rachel just accepted them and said thank you. "Now, you are a special case in that we actually had a person contact us to take you. She said you knew her." Mark said, consulting his papers, "A Cynthia Azar. That name ring a bell?"

"She was the one who found me." Rachel said.

"Is this ok with you?" Mark asked.

"Yes." Rachel said.

"Ok." Mark said, "I will notify the necessary parties." he added, standing up, "I hope you get better soon."

"Thank you, sir." Rachel said.

He left and the others returned. (1)

"That was fast." Dick said.

"He said he was contacted by someone who wanted to take me in." Rachel said,

"Who?" Wally asked.

"Azar." Rachel said while looking at Jenny. Jenny smiled.

"Just don't go crazy on me."

* * *

Three days later, the day before Rachel was to be released, the lawyers showed up.

Things went smoother than Rachel thought they would. They allowed her to wait for Azar to show up to help her through things. It turned out that Rachel's father left everything to her. She was now one rich fifteen year old. Her father did have some debts, but those were mostly things he _could_ pay, he just hadn't gotten around to it before he died, like his monthly credit card balance and his tab at the bar. The estate would easily cover them. The rest of the money would be put into Azar's control for as long as Rachel deemed her a suitable guardian.

The next day, Rachel was released. Azar took her to the church, where she, and now Rachel, lived. She showed Rachel the room that was to be hers. It was a plain room with blank, white walls, a small dresser and a small dorm-style bed.

"You can fix it up to your liking." Azar said, "I just didn't know what you would want from your old room and what you would rather sell."

Rachel walked into the room. On the dresser lay a hand held mirror. It was very ancient looking and silver with a ruby and an amethyst inlaid in the handle, right below the glass of the mirror. "Azar?" she asked, indicating it.

"I want to give it to you." Azar said, "It has been in my family for years, passing from generation to generation. As I have no kids of my own, I am giving it to you."

"It's beautiful." Rachel said, as she ran a finger along it, "Thank you so much. For everything." she said, giving Azar a hug, which Azar returned.

"I have come to see you, Jenny and Jericho as mine." Azar said, "I know that I will never fill the gap that your parents left, but I will do the best I can to make a bridge across it."

"Thank you." was all Rachel could bring herself to say, so she just kept repeating it over and over. (2)

* * *

Gar, Kori, Vic and Dick showed up that afternoon. Rachel had been laying in her bed, reading one of the books that Jenny and Jericho had taken to her while she was in the hospital, when she heard a knock at door of the live in part of the church. Azar said that she would get it. Rachel continued reading, not surfacing from her book when she heard Azar knock at her door. "You have company." Azar said, then moved to reveal the four.

"Hi Rachel." Gar said.

"Uh, hey." she said, sitting up and putting her book down, "Can I help you?" she asked.

"We have need to have the talk." Kori said as she and the others entered Rachel's room.

"We were wrong." Dick said.

"Put that in stone." Vic muttered as he sat on Rachel's right, Gar on her left. "Dick admitted that he was wrong."

"We were though." Kori affirmed.

"We pushed when you wanted space." Gar clarified, "And we let go too easily when we shouldn't have."

"Look, guys," Rachel said, "I really don't feel like this tonight."

"But this is something we need to say." Vic said, "Not to be pushing again."

"We want to say we are sorry." Kori said, "First for pushing you away, then not pulling you in."

Rachel was silent. She didn't know what to say. No one, _no one_, had ever apologized to her. Others were usually trying to make her apologize. She didn't know what to say, this was uncharted territory.

"I-" she started, she took a deep breath, "I'm, sorry too." she said finally.

"What are you sorry for?" Dick asked.

"I wanted space." Rachel said, "I fought for it. Then when you gave it to me, I ran. I- I wasn't, I'm _still _not used to having friends. I'm used to people wanting me to be gone. When you gave me the space, I took it that you guys didn't want me around anymore. I, I'm sorry."

"Then we're all sorry?" Kori asked.

"Yeah, Kori." Dick said, a small smile on his face, "We're all sorry."

"Then we shall do the celebrating by buying the cheesy wheel of goodness!" Kori exclaimed.

"That's Kori's new term for 'pizza'." Vic explained at Rachel's questioning look.

"It's a fun term." Dick defended.

"Then why don't you use it?" Gar asked, an eyebrow raised in mocking question.

"So are we going or what?" Dick asked quickly as he stood up and left.

"I believe it is a good question, Dick." Kori said, getting up to follow him.

"I gotta see this." Vic said as he stood up. Rachel also got up, but instead of following the other three out, she grabbed her shoes from near her closet. "You guys commin'?" Vic asked her and Gar.

"Gotta get my shoes on." Rachel said as she bent down to fix her socks.

"I'll be there in a minute." Gar said. Vic gave him a nod, then left. "Rea?" Gar started.

"Rachel, Gar, Rachel." she corrected.

"Sorry. Rachel?" he amended.

"Yes?"

"I need to apologize." he said, looking down and fidgeting with his hands.

"What? You just did." Rachel asked. All the apologies were done, right?

"Last Monday, I said some things." he said slowly, as though trying to find the right words, "Things that weren't true." He looked up at her. His eyes were shining. "I was just so mad and, and hurt. I lashed out. On you. I shouldn't have done that." (3)

"Don't worry, Gar." Rachel said as she returned to her shoes, "I know that you were upset. No harm done."

"But there was. I know it." he said, "When I first found out that you were in the hospital, I asked Jenny what happened. It took a while and a lot of yelling on Jenny's part, but she eventually told me."

_**Flashback**_

"That's her business, not yours." Wally said. It was the most serious and dangerous Gar had ever heard the jokester's voice.

"No." Jenny said, "It's his fault!"

"My fault?" Gar asked. Jenny stood up, grabbed Gar's arm and marched him out of the room. Wally followed, Jericho stayed behind in the room. Jenny led Gar down the stairs and out of the hospital to the area reserved for smokers.

"Yes, it's your damn fault!" she yelled as she threw him up against the side of the hospital.

"You can't say that, Jenny." Wally said, taking the now crying Jenny in his arms, "Whatever happened to make Rachel do this probably would've happened anyway."

"No." Jenny said, "She was supposed to go to my house after practice. But that _bastard_-" she pointed at Gar, "snapped at her! I saw it all! She was just saying sorry for what the bitch Terra did to him, and he blamed Rachel! He said that he knew that she didn't care!"

"That's what Terra told me!" Gar defended himself.

"Well Terra _lied_!" Jenny yelled, Wally took her back into his arms, more to restrain her from killing Gar than to comfort her. "I saw her! I saw how she looked at all of you! You especially! You guys were her first friends! She felt hurt that you would leave her like that. Just throw her to the side for a lying blonde bitch!"

"I- I-" Gar stuttered.

"You didn't care! None of you!" Jenny yelled, "No, you bite back at her when she was trying to make you feel better! She goes home, her father beats her near to death!"

"Her father?" Gar asked.

"Don't tell me that you didn't get _that_." Wally asked incredulously, "The whole school suspects it. Mandy and Kitten surely have told you."

"I guess I didn't want it to be true." Gar said.

"Her father." Jenny spat, "She was going to go to my house, but you yelled at her, made her leave, she went home to- _that_. Put it together Gar."

Gar was silenced.

"You can't fairly say that, Jenny." Wally reasserted.

"Yes, she can." Gar said, "It's all my fault."

_**End Flashback**_

"It wasn't your fault, Gar." Rachel said. Gar, tears in her eyes, looked up at her.

"Yes it was." he said through his tears.

"No." Rachel assured him, "It wasn't. I kept it all inside. I was the proverbial 'walking time bomb'. As much as I don't want to admit it, it would've happened sooner or later."

Gar gave her a sad smile, "Thanks, Rea." She glared at him, "Sorry. Rachel."

"No problem." she said as she finished tying her shoes, "Now can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"If Jenny told you that, why did you tell the others that she didn't."

"I figured it was something that you would want to tell them when you were ready." he said.

"Thanks." she said. They shared a small smile.

"You guys commin'?" Vic asked, "We're starving out here."

"Let's go." Rachel said as she stood up.

* * *

Notes:

1) Ok, so that was ridiculously quick. I know that it would most likely take longer than this, and there is most likely TONS of paper work and all kinds of evaluations and things, but bare with me, ok? Ok. I don't know how those things work. And I hope that it isn't too much that she went to Azar, but she did stay at the Temple of Azar in the series, so I thought it might work. Sorry if it is though. Lemme know.

2) Ok, so that was very OC for Rachel, but I figured that she's going through some major mental stress at the point, and that if that were the case, she wouldn't act like normal. I dunno. Sorry if it didn't work for you.

3) Ok, just to clear up confusion: "Last Monday" means the day all the bad stuff happened. She then spent the "previous Monday" in the hospital. He's talking about two Mondays ago.

Hope you like it! The make-up chapter. I hope it didn't go to fast for anyone. In reading back, I can see where it would seem fast, but I think that all of them had been waiting to have this talk since Rachel first switched classes. Definitely since all this went down.

Um, thanks for all the reviews! On last count there were 94! That's almost quadruple all the other reviews I got for ALL my other stories. Yeah! (giggles happily)

So, uh, this story is almost over. Only like 2-4 more posts. There's some things I need to clean up and I don't know how that will effect the length. And to warn you all now, I**_SUCK_ **at endings. Like, really badly. So, just be prepared.

'Til then, lemme know. Thanks.


	14. Chapter 14

Still don't own them.

* * *

Azar allowed Rachel to stay home from school the next day, "But your going next week, young lady, you've missed two weeks already!" Rachel just smirked, next week was the play, so she would be missing most of her classes anyway. 

As it was Friday, so the others where in class, Rachel spent the day trying to catch up on her missed school work. She sat on her bed in a short sleeved shirt that Azar had loaned her, she still had to get her clothes from her room, and did her math. "What the hell did I do wrong here? You can't take the square root of a negative number." she asked herself aloud as she looked at the negative seven on her paper.

"You forgot to carry the sign." came Dick's voice from the door. She looked up and saw all her friends standing in her door. She looked at her clock, it was three thirty.

"You have the day off and you spend it doing _homework_?" Gar asked.

"I have two weeks worth." she shrugged. She stood up and went to get some sock and shoes on.

"Hold up." Gar said.

"What?" she asked.

"You're wearing a short sleeved shirt." he said.

"And?" she asked.

"We have never seen you out of your sweatshirt of the hood." Kori said.

"Unless you were in a hospital gown." Vic said, "This is different."

"Your bruises are almost gone." Jenny said.

"Are we gonna do this or what?" called Wally from the back.

"Let's go." Rachel said, a small smile on her face.

"Wait up a sec." Gar said, taking a plastic grocery bag from behind his back. Rachel saw that what ever was in it was dark, but other than that, she had no idea as to it's contents. "Here you go." he said, tossing it to her.

"What is it?" she asked, half afraid that he was going through with his promise to commemorate her new life with a prank.

"Just open it." he said. She still looked a little weary.

"Don't worry." Vic said, "I told him that I'd cream him if he did anything funny."

"But that's impossible." Jenny said as Rachel untied the handles of the bag, "Gar's not funny."

"Ha ha ha." Gar said as he watched Rachel open the bag. She pulled out a dark piece of material.

"What is it?" Aggie, who had pushed her way to the front, asked.

"A cloak." Rachel said, a small smile on her face, "But who finished it?"

"Gar did." Kori said plainly. "This week in class."

She looked at Gar who had a small smile on his face too. "Thanks." she said, it was all she could muster.

"I knew that it meant a lot to you." he said, shrugging as though it was nothing, "Besides, it was the least I could do after-" he still partially blamed himself for what happened to Rachel.

She cut him off by giving him a hug. She quickly recovered, however, and put it on a hanger. She then hung the hanger in the top of the window frame to admire the effect.

"You did really well." she said, looking quickly at Gar, before returning her glance to the cloak.

"Thanks." he said.

"Well, aren't you going to model it for us?" Jenny asked.

"No." Gar said, "Let's let her arms show a while longer."

As they left, Wally and Jericho, who had been in the back, looked into the room to see what all the commotion was about. All they saw, however, was the clock hanging from the top of the window frame.

"What's with the cape thingy?" Wally asked Jericho, who just shrugged. (1)

* * *

Lots of memories filled Rachel as Vic pulled up to her house. Correction: _old_ house. Few of them good. 

"Let's get this over with." Gar said what was on her mind.

"I want to apologize for what ever you see in here now." Rachel said.

"There's no need." Dick said, "That was _him_, not you."

They walked in the front door and were bombarded with a stench of stale alcohol and cigar smoke. Beer cans and Jack bottles were everywhere. They walked up the stairs to Rachel's old room and were horrified at the sight. It seemed her father had trashed everything in there. Clothes were thrown everywhere, some ripped, others knotted. Her mattress was no longer on her bed, the sheets looking like he slashed them. The drawers of her dresser were all pulled out and broken, her mirror was busted, looking like he punched it. Her stereo was busted, her cd's looked liked he threw them like Frisbees or broke them in half. But none of these things Rachel cared for. They were materials, just things. She quickly ducked under her bed, looking for something. She found it and prayed he hadn't. She took it out from under there and was relieved to see the small lock still in place. She dug through her bedside table drawer and found the key. She hoped he hadn't gotten into it and replaced it and the key, though the part in the back of her mind that was being sensible knew that he was too drunk to accomplish this. She took a deep breath of relief when she found the contents undisturbed. In it was the broche her mother gave her, a picture of her mother and her at the park, some of her drawings, the ticket stub from when she, Gar, Kori, Dick and Vic went to the movies in the beginning of the school year, a picture from when she Jenny, Jericho and Wally went to the mall and took group pictures in a booth (the only reason she smiled was because Wally told a joke and then Jericho poked her in the side), and the card Azar gave her the first time she met her.

Rachel locked the box back up and stood. She had what she wanted, now the rest was a salvage job. The other's helped her sort through her clothes, pitching those that were ripped, trying to untie the knots in the others. They gathered the stuff that wasn't broke or ruined and took it into a guest room where they could sort out what Rachel wanted to keep and what she wanted to pitch. They just left the stuff that was to be pitched, a cleaning crew would be by later to clean everything out, then there would be an auction in which half the proceeds would be put into a trust fund for Rachel and the rest would be given to her guardian for Rachel's needs.

Rachel then went to her father's study. She opened the safe to find it still half full of cash, which surprised her, she thought it would be empty. The other's jaws dropped when she began to take stacks of twenties out. She placed them in the firebox Azar had loaned her and when she was done, she locked it and put the key in her pocket. She looked up to see the others still gaping.

"You'll catch flies like that." she said. They quickly closed their mouths. "Who wants to go shopping?" she joked.

* * *

She did have to go shopping though, her father had only left a handful of usable clothes and she wanted to personalize her room a bit. She only took Jenny and Wally for this, the boys being employed to keep Kori busy because Rachel shuddered at the thought of what Kori would want to do to her wardrobe and room, she had nightmares of herself in a pink, lacey dress, standing in the middle of a pink room. 

"What about this?" Jenny asked, holding up a hoodie.

"I already have one of those." Rachel said, pointing to Wally who had been dragged along so he could hold everything. He murmured something under the pile.

"What did he say?" she asked Jenny.

"He said we should have brought someone else to help him carry the bags." Jenny interpreted.

"Who?" Rachel asked, "Jericho had guitar lessons and Kori would be suspicious if one of the other's were missing."

Wally mumbled something. Jenny once again relayed the gripe, "He said one of them could of pretended to have practice."

"That's an idea." Rachel said, "We'll keep that in mind for next time."

Wally made a noise. "He just groaned." Jenny said.

"Well, I think that's enough stuff." Rachel said, "Let's go pay for what we got here, then I'll get you guys lunch."

Wally made another noise, Jenny hit him. "He said, 'finally'."

* * *

That night, they all went for pizza. Remembering the last time, and circumventing any problems, they deciding ahead of time to order personal pizzas. Bee joined them, having just gotten done with her singing lessons. 

"You sing?" Jenny asked her.

"Yep." Bee said, "You're looking at the next pop sensation! As soon as I convince my parents that singing is a real profession and that being a lawyer is over-rated."

"Why aren't you in the play?" Rachel asked.

"I sing, I don't act." Bee said.

"Oh."

"How is the play coming along?" Bee asked.

"It is coming along greatly!' Kori said, "I am most excited for it to begin!"

"Don't remind me." Dick groaned.

"What's the matter?" Gar asked, "Getting stage fright?"

"No." Dick said, but no one was convinced.

"Don't worry man," Vic said, "You'll do fine."

"That's why I 'm in props and scenery." Rachel said.

"I hear that." Jenny agreed.

The rest of the evening was spent peacefully, everyone talking and laughing, even Rachel.

* * *

Rachel was adjusting, she thought, pretty well. She no longer thought of suicide, flippantly, let alone seriously, and felt happy with Azar and the monks. 

But as adjusted as she was, as happy as she was, she still felt sad that her father was dead. As much pain as he caused her, as much hurt, anger, or sadness he gave her, a small part of her missed him. She didn't understand this, it confused her. So to get rid of the overwhelming nature of it all, she did what Azar told her to do when she was having a sensory overload, she meditated.

She was in one such meditation when a knock came at her door. She looked at the clock, still to early to be Jenny, and Azar was doing something with the Monks. Her curiosity overriding her irritation, she answered her door. There stood Dick.

"Come in." she said.

"Thanks." he said.

"Any thing on your mind?" she asked.

"Actually, I came here to ask you that." he said, "Need to talk?"

"About?" she asked.

"I know what it's like to be an orphan, to no longer have family." he said, "I figured I was the most able to talk to you about it."

At first she was silent, then, "It's just weird, you know?" she admitted.

"As a matter of fact, I do." he said, "It will be.":

"I mean, I love Azar in a way, and will be forever grateful, but it's just-" she looked for the words to describe what she wanted to say, "I dunno." she finished lamely.

"I know." he said, "Believe it or know I know exactly what you mean."

"I don't know if you do though." she said. He gave her a questioning glance and she elaborated, "I mean, from what I've gathered, your parents loved you. I don't know if mine loved me. I mean, I think my mother did, but she left so early, that I hardly remember anything about her, I mean I remember some things, mostly because I copied them and do them now, but other than that-. And I doubt that my father loved me. He only kept me around because I created the image of a family. He told me so a thousand times. And then, when he- when he-." she fell silent.

"It's ok, Rachel." he said, "He can't hurt you anymore."

"You don't understand!" she exclaimed, "None of you do."

"We're trying, Rachel." Dick said, "We really are."

"But you can't understand because I haven't told you. Any of you." she said, hanging her head, tears falling from her eyes.

"You haven't told us what?" Dick asked, "Rachel, we're only here to help."

"I know." she said, taking a deep breath. Should she tell him? Could she tell him? Could he be told, would he understand? "My- my father-" she started. God this was hard.

"It's ok, Rachel." Dick said, "We know what he did to you."

"He raped me." she said quickly and quietly. (2)

"What?" Dick asked.

"He raped me." she said, "My father, my 'daddy-dearest' raped me. He-" she stopped.

"Rachel-" Dick began, but was cut off.

"And the worst part of it all is that I miss him!" she suddenly said, "I miss the son of a bitch that did this to me! I miss him!" with this she burst out crying.

"It's ok, Rachel, it's only natural." he soothed, "It's only natural to miss him. He was your father. You're going to."

"But it's not!" she yelled, "I shouldn't miss him after he-"

"No matter what he did to you, he was still your father."

"When will I stop?" she asked him.

"I don't know." he said, "I wish I could give you an answer, I really wish I could, but I can't. You'll forget when you're ready to forget."

"Believe me, I'm ready."

* * *

Dick promised not to tell any of the others, and he kept it. Three days later, however, things got- complicated. She was in Spanish, lost in though, when the teacher called on her. 

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" she asked the teacher. Senor Lopez was not pleased.

"I realize that you just got back, Senorita Rachel, but please try to pay attention! Now, lea el parafo segundo." (3)

After she read the second paragraph and the teacher separated them into groups to translate the following story, Dick asked if she was alright.

"I don't know." she said.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I-" she took a breath, "I'm late."

"What?" Dick asked, clearly lost, "But you were on time for class."

"Not that kind of late. I'm _late_ late." she said.

"Oh, shit." Dick said after it sunk in.

"What the _hell_ am I going to do?" she demanded in a whisper.

"After practice, we'll tell the others that we have some Spanish homework to do. We'll go some where and get a test."

"Oh, god." she moaned.

"It'll be alright, Rachel." Dick said, "It'll be alright."

"Thanks." she said.

"Senorita Rachel and Senor Dick," the teacher called, "Are you already done with the translation?" They quickly apologized and began their translation.

* * *

"Ugh." Gar said, "I swear if Garth gets any meaner in his direction, I'm going to quit!" 

"He's just nervous because the play is soon." Vic said.

"Doesn't mean he can take it out on us." Gar complained.

"He was most tense and short today." Kori agreed.

"I got just the thing!" Vic said, "How bout we all go to my place and have a video game tournament?"

"I'm there!" Gar called out.

"It would be glorious!" Kori squealed, jumping up and down.

"How 'bout it you two?" Vic asked Dick and Rachel.

"Yeah, come on, Rea-chel." Gar said, "It's been a while since you've been in a gaming tournament! I'll take it easy on you."

"I've never been in a 'gaming tournament' because I don't play video games." she said.

"We got some Spanish homework to do anyway." Dick said, "We didn't finish our translation."

"Ouch for you." Vic said, "Guess we'll see you two tomorrow then."

"See ya." Gar said.

"Bye." Dick said, giving Kori a hug. Rachel waved then the two groups went their separate ways.

Dick waited until they were out of range, then pulled Rachel by the arm. "Come one." he said, "I know a out of the way place we can go to. Know one will ever find out."

Rachel followed as Dick led her to the outskirts of town. "Aren't we kind of close to where Vic lives?" she asked.

"Yes, but if I know them, they're to busy with their video games to come here." he said, "Besides, Vic hardly ever comes in here since he got his license. He prefers to drive to the store on the other side of town."

They walked into the small shop and looked at the isle markers. They found the isle they needed then headed down to find the pregnancy tests. They were looking at all the different types when they heard the bell chime that meant someone else was entering the store.

"Man, I can't believe you offered to have a gaming tournament with out eats!" they heard Gar's voice. They quickly ducked.

"Never come here, huh?" Rachel demanded at a whisper. Dick motioned for her to be quiet. He quickly grabbed a test that claimed to be 99 accurate, then walked to the front of the store.

"Hush up, man." Vic's voice said, "We'll be outta here in no time."

"Why have we not come to this store before?" Kori asked.

"I like the other store." Vic said, "This one was just closer."

Dick and Rachel reached the end of their isle that was closest to the cash register. Dick looked around and quickly ducked back in. He motioned that they were in the front of the store. Rachel looked around and grabbed two magazines. She shoved one in Dick face and planted her nose in the other.

She held her breath. She prayed that they wouldn't be seen. But thirty two breathless seconds later, "Rachel? Dick? What are you two doing here?" Gar asked.

"Um, looking at magazines?" Dick said.

"I thought that you two had Spanish homework to do." Vic asked.

"We need an article to translate into Spanish." Rachel quickly lied.

"On motorcycles and women with no clothes?" Kori asked. Rachel looked at the magazine in her hands, grateful to find that it was the motorcycle magazine and not the other. She saw Dick flush.

"Um, yes?" she said.

"What ever." Vic said, "If you two wanted to be alone, all you had to do was say so."

"That's not what this is at all!" Dick said. Kori paled and tears were forming in her eyes.

"What's that?" Gar asked, pointing to the pregnancy test that Dick still held.

"Um, um, it's a test." he said lamely.

"I'll explain in a minute, not here." Rachel said. She grabbed the test out of Dick hands and went to pay for it.

"My house is closer." Vic said, "We'll go there."

Vic, Gar and Kori walked a little a head of Rachel and Dick, both who had their heads held low. Dick was thinking of the mess that he made, and Rachel was wondering how she was going to tell the others. Telling Dick was one thing- it just sort of came out then- but she didn't know if she could do it again. Dick looked over and saw her wringing her hands.

"It'll be ok." he said.

"Will it?" she asked.

Vic led them up his front porch and into his living room. "Now what the hell is going on?" he demanded.

"That can wait a few minutes." Dick said, "Can Rachel use your bathroom?"

"She can use it while you explain what's happening." Vic said.

"This is something I need to explain." Rachel said. "Dick has nothing to do with it other than he knows and was trying to help me."

"It's the second door on the right." Gar said.

"Thank you." Rachel said. She headed back and proceeded to take the test. When she came out they all looked at her. "I need to wait a few minutes." she said.

"Now may you explain what is happening?" Kori asked.

"You all should sit down." she said. She followed Vic and the others to Vic's living room and everyone sat down. Gar, Vic and Kori sat on the couch, Rachel and Dick on the chairs. Rachel took a deep breath. Tears were building in her eyes.

"It'll be ok." Dick said. She nodded.

She took a deep breath, "On the night I- I tried to commit suicide, several things had happened. Both at school," she looked at Gar who looked down, still ashamed of his actions, "and at home. I had gone home to find that my father had had a business dinner that I was unaware of. He was upset that I had not cleaned up, that I wasn't there, and that he had had to cancel his appointment with Nancy. The meeting had gone well, and he and Slade went out to celebrate. When he came back, he was very drunk. He went up to my room to beat me, but in his drunken state, went farther than that." Tears were now rolling down her face. She took a few shuddering breaths, "He said- he said that he'd teach me to not come home. He said he'd take away everything I had. Everything. And he did. He- he raped me that night. He took whatever pride and dignity I had, along with my-" but here her voice broke and the tears that had been silently rolling down her cheeks gave way to sobs. Gar rushed up and took her in a hug that conveyed all the sympathy he had. Kori and Vic soon followed suite. Dick took up the explanation from there.

"She told me Sunday when I went to talk to her about not having her parents anymore. Today in Spanish, she told me she was late. I came up with the plan. She was going to find out then, if she is, we were going to go from there."

The others let go of Rachel and she wiped her eyes. Kori went over to Dick, "I am most sorry for what I thought." she said to both him and Rachel.

"Me too." Vic said.

"Rachel-" Gar said, but she cut him off after looking at her watch.

"It's ready now." she said. She stood up and went back to the bathroom. The others stayed in the living room. Five minutes later she came out, tears in her eyes. But these tears were different than those she cried earlier. "It's negative." she said, a small smile of relief creeping onto her face, "I'm not."

* * *

Notes: 

1) The "cape-thingy" incident is brought to you by the ingenious, if not slightly crazy, mind of teenyugiohpotterphantom, it was their idea. And I'm just kidding, they are not crazy. Well, not totally.

2) You thougt she was going to tell Gar first, didn't you! I tricked you! Actually, I thought she was going to tell Gar first, but it seemed to fit into the conversation.

3) Yeah, my Spanish is a good deal rusty, but I think it says "Read the second paragraph" that's what it's supposed to say anyway.

So, what did you think? A little too much? (Her being late that is) Lemme know! Please!

Oh, and if you find yourself on and looking for a good story to read, I highly suggest the stories on my Favorite Stories list, or any story by any of the authors on my Favorite Authors list. I promise you will not be disappointed, especially if you, like me, are an avid ReaxGar fan. Seriously, check them out!

Til next time!


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry about the wait. It is totally justifiable, but as the reasons are personal, I'm not going to get into it here. I'm just glad its clearing over and that it is now SUMMER, even if I am working a lot, I don't have the hassle of school! Yeah Summer! But two chapters for you. The first is meant to be funny, key words, meant to be. There will be a little bit of not funny stuff, but mostly I tried to make it funny. Hope you enjoy! Don't own 'em.

* * *

"So, what do we do know?" Gar asked, "I mean, do you guys really have to finish that Spanish, or was that just part of the plan?"

"Unfortunately, no." Dick said, "We do have to finish that translation."

"Well, do you guys have time for a quick game or two?" Vic asked.

"Yeah, I mean, it's not like either of you would be in it for long before I beat you and knocked you out." Gar said. Vic elbowed him, "Or maybe Vic will be the one dominating the gaming." he added in a quick, slightly higher pitched voice.

"More like it." Vic said, a satisfied grin on his face.

"Please say you have the time to participate in the tournament of the video games!" Kori pleaded.

"Go ahead." Rachel said when Dick looked at her with pleading eyes, "We're almost done, I can finish up."

"You sure?" Dick asked.

"Positive." she said.

"Well, you know you can stay here while you do that." Vic said, "Hang with us and stuff."

"Yes!" Kori exclaimed, "It has been quite the while since just the four of us have done the hanging out, it would be most joyous!"

"That is until Vic's little 'honey-bee' calls to make sure he's being a good boy!" Gar said in a teasing tone.

"Your 'honey-bee'?" Rachel asked as Vic glowered at a now cowering Gar.

"Karen." Dick offered, "She's a little-" he searched for a word that would describe Karen and _not_ earn him the death glare from Vic, who had a surprisingly scary death glare (1). Apparently none came to mind quickly enough for Gar's taste for he cut in.

"Possessive! Domineering! Jealous!" he yelped as Vic got up from his seat and started to run at him. Gar jumped over the back of the couch and took off down the hallway.

"Karen is not possessive, domineering or jealous!" the big man yelled after the little guy, "We just like to keep a schedule!"

"Sure!" Gar yelled as she dashed around the living room having come back in through the other door, "And I'm green!" (2)

"I don't know about green, but your about to be black and blue!" Vic yelled as he chased Gar around the couch. Kori and Dick, who had been sitting on the couch with Gar, picked their feet up to avoid having them be trampled. Vic continued, "And like you can really talk! When ever Tara couldn't get a hold of you she'd call me demanding to know exactly where you were, why you hadn't called her and then made me relive the Spanish Inquisition with all the questions she asked about if you were cheating on her, exactly what you said about her, if you thought she was pretty-" (3)

But Gar had stopped running at the first mention on Tara. Vic had been so focused on his mission of beating the little blasphemer, as he saw him, that he hadn't noticed and steam rolled into him, causing both to take a tumble to the floor.

"Dude, not cool." Gar said as he extracted himself from the tangle of limbs and stood up. "I'll be back." and he stormed down the hallway.

"I missed something." Rachel said into the uncomfortable silence that had filled the air.

"He and Tara had a huge argument." Dick said, "Apparently he went to her house to apologize for their argument from the night that-well, you know- but she wasn't home. Her mother had said that she would be back soon and that he was welcome to wait for her in the living room. Then the mother left for work leaving Gar with Tara's dad who was asleep because he works nights. Gar said he waited for half an hour, had to use the bathroom, went and when he came back, Tara and some other guy were on the couch." he paused, "In a rather- close position. They got into it. Gar said that ugly words were exchanged, and they haven't spoken since."

"When was this?" Rachel asked.

"Last weekend." Vic said, "Shortly after you were released."

"That was most unkind, Vic." Kori said.

"I know." Vic said, hanging his head, "I didn't mean for it to come out like that, it was supposed to be a joke." He gave a huge sigh, "I'll go apologize."

A few minutes later, a slightly relieved Vic and a still upset Gar came in. "Really, man, I'm sorry." Vic was saying.

"I heard you the first time, dude, and I forgive you- again." Gar said. He looked around, frowned then hit himself on the forehead and said, "Duh!"

"Tell us, friend," Kori said, "what has brought on this mild case of self abuse?" Silence filled the room for about thirty seconds while the others computed what she said.

"Well, when we left earlier, it was to get snacks, but due to a certain, err, distraction," he looked at Rachel and Dick, "we still haven't got the eats necessary for me to perform at my peak."

"And what would those be? Animal crackers and a Flintstone vitamin?" Rachel asked, eyebrows cocked. (4)

"Now, see, I'm going to let that slide." Gar said, not looking at her but the others and pointing to her. Then looking at her, he continued, "Just 'cuz I've missed your sarcastic gabs, even though they hit right here." he mimed stabbing himself in the heart, "Right here, Rachel." he said while "stabbing" his heart again.

"Duly noted." Rachel said, "But you haven't answered the question."

"Ha ha, funny girl! Lady and germs, we got ourselves a funny girl here!" he sarcastically announced to the room.

"Vic, is your house infested with germs and bacteria?" Kori asked.

"What?" Vic asked, "No."

"I'll explain it while we walk." Dick said, chuckling.

"Eh, sorry, Kori." Gar said, though he was really apologizing to Dick for the now necessary explanations.

"So, what falls under the category of 'necessary gaming foods', anyway?" Rachel asked.

"It's complicated." Gar said, "Very scientific and stuff." he further assured her, "You might not understand."

Turns out, the difficult and "scientific and stuff" foods were anything that had sugar listed as the first ingredient on the list. Rachel stood in awe, and slight disgust, as she watched Vic and Gar shove things in their cart that would pay for their dentists' second mortgages. And the trip to Europe. And possibly that new dinette set that Mrs. Gar's-Dentist's-Wife wanted. Then they hit the soda coolers.

"How long is this going to last?" Rachel asked, looking at her watch, it was already seven o'clock.

"We're bulking up." Vic said, "If we get a lot now, it'll be longer before we have to come back."

"In theory." Dick added, and he and Kori also stood a safe distance from the carnage.

When the "food" was collected and paid for, they returned to Vic's house and Vic and Gar argued over a game while Kori and Dick drew up a scoreboard to keep track and Rachel worked on the translation.

"So, what are you translating?" Vic asked.

"Something about a corrupt mayor and a dentist." Rachel said over the paper.

"I remember that." Vic said, "Didn't like it. Too abstract. Difficult to understand."

"Just the wording, really." Rachel said casually, "The colloquialisms." (5)

"The cloak-eel-what-ims?" Gar asked, slightly tilting his neck, but eyes never leaving the screen.

"The colloquialisms." Rachel repeated, "Like we say 'it's raining cats and dogs' but they say 'it pouring pitchers'. Sayings."

"Oh. Got it." Gar said as he picked his player. He was to face Dick first, then Kori, Vic and then, if she'd play, Rachel.

Kori added to the conversation as she got up to get a can of soda, "I must admit that 'raining cats and dogs' never has made much sense to me. 'Pouring pitchers' is more appropriate."

"But cats and dogs are more fun." Vic said as he too grabbed a soda.

"That is true." Kori said after reflecting on the thought a bit, "And it would be most amusing to see."

"Come on, Gar, is that the best you got?" Dick egged.

"Not even close, man." Gar answered, "Just warmin' up."

"Then warm up a little faster." Dick chided, "I almost got you beat."

Then an electronic zap noise filled the room followed by the shrinking noise video games make when someone loses. "You were saying?" Gar asked.

"You cheated!" Dick said, "I demand a rematch."

"X, O, R1 and L2." Gar said as he kissed his controller, "Works every time."

"Then maybe you don't want to give the secret away?" Rachel asked.

"The buttons mean nothing if you don't have the proper combination, Rea." he said as smooth as he could, then hastily added, "-chel." completely ruining the effect.

"And, moving on." Rachel said, returning to her paper.

"Lemme help." Dick said, lumbering over after Kori assured him that Gar did not cheat, that the move was completely legal. "I got some time."

"I got it, but thanks." Rachel said. Dick shrugged, grabbed a handful of gummie bears and a soda, then went beck to the couch to watch Vic take it easy on Kori and still crush her.

"I can help." Gar said.

"I'm almost done." she said, "But thanks."

She expected him to also shrug his shoulders and return to the game, but instead he just moved behind the chair she was in, leaned over her and read over her shoulder. Rachel was glad he was behind her and that her hair was hiding her face, because if it wasn't, he would of seen her turn four shades of red. As it was, she was certain he would hear her heart race.

He mumbled a bit, obviously reading it under his breath. He then brought her paper closer to him. "That line should be 'the gold of the peasants was in his teeth', not 'his teeth were filled with the gold of the peasants'." he said.

Rachel looked at the paper and then the story in the book. "You're right." she said. He moved his arms in a way that she took to be a mini victory dance. "Tell Dick he messed up. That's his writing. Must've been some we got done in class." The victory dance stopped.

"Damn." he said, "I thought I caught you in a mistake." he said, turning his head to look at her face, but only seeing hair. The blush now down and in control, at least temporarily, she tucker her hair behind her ear and faced him.

"Nope." she said, matter of factly, then turned back to her paper and fixed the mistake.

"Maybe next time." he said, but he still didn't move. He apparently looked to the next sentence she needed to do and worked it out while she was fixing the other problem. Honestly, white out dries slow! Or at least not fast enough. "The next sentence is something along the lines of the dentist refusing, but there's a word I'm stuck on."

Rachel looked ahead, while still waiting for the white out to dry to a point she could write on it, and read the sentence. "I can see why." she said, "You translate by sentence, don't you?" he nodded, "It's easier if you do a few sentences at a time. By itself, that sentence doesn't make much sense, but coupled with the sentence after it, it makes perfect sense. See?"

He read and worked it out in his head, moving his right hand to correlate to the thoughts running through his mind. "You're right." he said, then snorted, "I always thought that was bull. I mean, who'd figure?" (6)

Rachel fixed the line Dick had misinterpreted, then wrote the new line. "Only one more paragraph to go." she said, more to herself than anyone.

"I can help." he said, still leaning over her.

"You've helped enough, but thanks." she said, "Go back to the game."

"Dick and Vic are playing right now. I've got time." Gar protested.

"And I've got this." she protested in return.

Gar leaned down, right next to her ear, "You know I'm here to help, right Rachel?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, "All of us are. No matter how big, or how small." Him being that close sent shivers down her spine and it took all she was worth to suppress them.

"I know," she said, her own voice also not much more than a whisper, "and thanks."

They looked at each other and their eyes met. She couldn't help but gaze into them, no matter how hard she tried to pull away. The icy blue orbs almost seemed to hypnotize her. In them, she could see everything, and nothing at all. She could see all the heartfelt emotions of friendship, caring and concern he felt for her. She also saw a lack of the hatred, disgust and fear she often saw in the eyes of those looking at her. Those deep, clear, blue eyes-

"Gar! It is our turn to have the duel of the video games!" Kori voice was heard as Vic and Dick argued over the results of their game, once again Dick had lost and was accusing Vic of cheating. He really wasn't the best loser.

"Coming, Kori." he said as he and Rachel's eye tore apart. Rachel immediately loosened her hair from behind her ear and hastily returned to the translation before her. Gar quickly straightened and cleared his throat. He then all but ran over to the couch where Kori was waiting expectantly and Dick and Vic were still arguing. As Gar selected his player and Rachel quickly worked on the translation, Kori's glance bounced back and forth between the two. Both were too busy trying to pretend that nothing had just happened that neither of them saw the small smirk appear on Kori's face.

* * *

_**Centered on Kori**_

Kori was very observant. And well attuned to the "silent signals" others sent off. She always knew when one of her friends was having a bad day, (well, almost always, Rachel was exceptionally good at masking that) and could tell even more when the attraction vibes were spinning in the air around her. And spinning they were. The vibes, as she called them, were simply pouring out of her friends faster than a preteen girl runs through cell phone minutes.(7) She glanced again from Gar to Rachel, then quickly removed the small smile from her face as Gar announced that the game was about to start. She lost the game by even more, even though Gar took it easier on her than usual, as he was no doubt also preoccupied with things other than the game. What was her mind on you ask? Why what else? Her possible upcoming role as cupid. But she was going to need help with this one.

* * *

_**Back to Rachel**_

What the hell just happened? And why was she feeling so mad at Kori right now? Yeah, she had "feelings" for Gar, but there was no way he felt anything for her more than as a friend, so why was she so mad? It didn't make sense. Ah, what _did_ make sense these days?

* * *

_**Centered On Gar**_

Man, oh man, oh man. He just totally screwed things up with Rachel! He just knew it! God! Why did he have to be so stupid! He had just gone over there to help her with her Spanish. That was it! Spanish! A translation of some off the wall story in Spanish! (And on a side note, he was very glad Senora Fitzgerald had not given them that story, at least not yet. Talk about weird!) Something that Rachel will never remember after the exam. In a few months it'll be, "Yeah, I remember that story. God, it was weird!" then in a few years, "Heh, I had to translate a story like that once. And there was this kid I was friends with, Gar Logan- what an idiot- but he was making goo goo eyes at me the whole time! Can you believe that? I'm there, translating this out of nowhere story, and he's making a pass at me! Ha ha! What a loser!"

Yes, these were the thoughts running through our little friends mind. He was just glad that Kori had interrupted when she did, or he might of done something _really _stupid.

"Gar!" Vic's voice invaded his personally berating.

"Yeah?" he asked as he snapped out of it.

"You can let go of the controller now." Vic said, "It's Kori's and Dick's turn."

"Oh, got it." Gar said as he handed his controller to Dick. Was it just his imagination, or did Dick still seem a little mad about being beat? Man, that guy was a sore loser.

* * *

_**Centered on Dick**_

"They cheated! That's the only way they could beat me." were the thoughts running through Dick's mind, "The only way. But that's ok. I'll get them next time!"

Really quite sad, actually.

* * *

_**Centered on Vic**_

What was with every one? Gar was unusually quiet, especially for playing a video game, Kori had a sly grin that could only mean trouble on her face (he hoped that her thoughts had nothing to do with him), Rachel was quiet, but it seemed quieter than usual, if that was possible, and Dick- well, he was living up to his name right now. That guy was not a graceful loser. Vic hoped he was a better winner.

* * *

Notes:

1) I don't really see Karen, or Bumblebee as possessive, but she has been in other fics that I've read, and I thought it opened up the spectrum for some humor. I dunno, sorry if you don't like it.

2) ;)

3) Hehe, sorry if you a Terra/Tara fan, but I'm not. Here I made her remind me of one of my brother's ex's. I didn't like her either.

4) Lemme just say that I loved Flintstone vitamins as a kid! (Though as my uncle is constantly reminding me, that wasn't that far off. But he's about to turn forty, so I guess to him, it wasn't that long ago for me.)

5) I think that's the term I'm looking for. If not, I give full permission ro shoot me. The following, about the phrase "raining cats and dogs" followed by video game combinations, is from a conversation some friends of mine and I had while doing Spanish homework and playing video games. Yes, we really are that random.

(6) From the same conversation as above. Only earlier. Just thought that was a fun little tid bit of useless info. And, moving on…..

7) No offense to any preteen girl or anyone who uses a lot of cell phone minutes.

So, um, there's another chapter, so go on! At least there should be another chapter, I've got it all written out and stuff, but my computer's really the deciding factor on whether it goes up or not. But, hopefully, go read on!

Hope you like it!


	16. Chapter 16

I own nothing. Nothing I tell you!

* * *

_**Back to Rachel**_

She was finally done with her translation, finishing about when Vic cremated Gar in their game. Gar, while not being as bitter about it as Dick could be, wasn't the best loser either, but at least he didn't accuse Vic of cheating.

"I demand a rematch!" he yelled, already picking out a different player, "My player sucked! Rematch!"

"Man, that was the same player you've been using for years." Vic said, using the tone an older sibling would use to an upset younger sibling. "Trust me, it ain't the player."

"At least not the player in the game." Rachel said as she zipped up her back pack.

"Why don't you two go on tour?" Gar asked sarcastically as Dick grabbed Vic's controller.

"Hold up!" Gar said, stealing the controller Dick had grabbed, "If I don't get my rematch, then I'm playing Rachel."

"Better give him his rematch, Vic." Rachel said.

"Come on, Rachel, give him one game." Vic said, "My gaming fingers are done."

"Nope." Rachel said, "I do not play video games."

"Aww, come on." Gar said, "Video games have all kinds of benefits. They increase hand-eye cord-"

"Increase hand-eye coordination, improve fine motor skills, especially in the fingers, and reading is just as bad for your eyes as TV." Rachel said in a bored tone, "We already had this conversation."

"We did?" Gar said, thinking back, "Oh, yeah, we did." He smiled, "I remember."

"Shocker." Rachel said sarcastically. Gar stuck his tongue out at her.

"It's still true." he said, "Even if I said it."

"I'll take your word for it." she said as she fished out a red gummie bear. Gar ended up shrugging.

"What time is it?" Kori asked.

"Close to nine." Vic said, looking at the cable box.

"I must be getting home." Kori said, "Rachel, would you care to walk with me?"

"I don't live that way now." Rachel reminded her.

"I apologize." Kori said quickly, blushing.

"No need. I almost forget sometimes. It's new and will take time to get used to." Rachel assured her.

"I'll walk you home, Kori." Dick quickly offered, turning on the couch to face her where she had walked to stand next to Rachel.

"I will accept on your offer." Kori said, "As long as you don't mind leaving now. I must be home by nine thirty on school nights."

"I'm getting my shoes on." Dick said as he vaulted over to where he had removed his shoes after things had settled down.

"Thank you for a most enjoyable time." Kori said as she also got her shoes on.

"Yeah. Thanks." Dick said. He and Kori then left.

Rachel, Gar and Vic waited five minutes in silence, then Gar vaulted to the window next to the door. "And…their around the corner." he said, looking out the window. "So, how long do you guys think it'll take to get them to get to Kori's house?"

"You mean like that time she went to his house for him to help her with her English and they never got around to it?" Vic offered.

"Or how it's still ten till nine and it only takes fifteen minutes to get to her house from here?" Rachel added. Vic snickered and Gar laughed out right.

"They just _had_ to leave then to get home on time?" Gar asked the others, "This is going to be fun tomorrow." Evil grins spread on Gar's and Vic's faces. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Need help cleaning up?" Rachel asked.

"Thanks." Vic said, "My dad's not due until eleven, but he'd kill me if I left the place in a mess."

"I'll help too." Gar volunteered. He ran to the kitchen to grab some trash bags. He came back in, sliding on the hard wood in his socks and falling flat on his rear. "Ow." he said, "Not the effect I was looking for."

"And what would that of been?" Vic asked.

"That Tom Cruise thing." he said as he got up, "Except that I was fully clothed."

"We'll thank you for that." Vic said, "Huh, Rachel?"

"Yeah." Rachel said as she turned from them to "gather trash", while conveniently hiding the blush creeping up her cheeks. She silently berated herself, "Bad Rachel, bad thoughts. Get them out. Bad. Good, but bad. Really good. No! Bad! Bad!" (1)

"Rachel, you ok?" Gar asked.

"Fine." she said, a false cheery look on her face, and her voice a few decibels higher than normal. "It is getting late though. May I call Azar to let her know where I am?"

"Sure." Vic said, "You can use either the phone in here or in the kitchen." Just then, Gar reattempted to slide across the floor, but once again falling to the floor, yelping as he landed, "It might be quieter in the kitchen."

"Thanks." Rachel said as she went into the kitchen,

She picked up the phone and caught herself right before dialing her old number. She quickly dialed Azar's number and explained where she was and apologized that she had waited this long in calling. Azar said it was ok, but asked her to be home by ten, ten thirty at the latest. "Gar and I are just helping clean up a bit, then I'll be heading home."

"Ok." she said, "I'll probably be in my office going over things, stop in and let me know when you get home."

"Will do." she said, "How did things go today?"

"Fine, fine." came the reply, "Melvin and her brothers were asking about you."

"They were?"

"Yep, wanted to know when you were going to start watching them again. I told them that you needed a break right now."

"About that, " Rachel began, if anyone deserved to know, Azar did, "we need to have a talk later."

"Ok." Azar said, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. I just need to talk to you later."

"Ok. We'll make an evening of it. I'll break out some of the ice cream left over from the sock-hop fundraiser last week."

"Sounds nice." Rachel said, "See you then." After Azar said bye, Rachel hung up the phone.

"Does Azar not know?" Gar asked from behind Rachel.

"What?" Rachel asked, not quite knowing what he was talking about.

"What you told Vic, Kori and I earlier, does Azar not know?" he asked.

"No." Rachel said, looking down, "That's why I went to Dick earlier."

"You could've told me." he said.

"I didn't want to tell anyone." she said, still looking down, "It just- I just did."

"Well, if there's any thing else, any other problem, come to me."

Rachel just looked at him. A small smile formed on his face. She returned it. The blush started to creep back up her neck and cheeks. She quickly looked back down and thanked him. "We should get back in there."

They walked back in to see Vic half cleaning and half watching the TV. He was currently trying to shove a figurine of a football player from the late nineteenth century into the bag. The figurine was solid brass and heavy, and while he would've been able to pick it up with ease had he been paying attention, he was to entranced in the television.

"Earth to Vic!" Gar said, "I don't think your dad would appreciate it if you threw that away."

"What?" Vic asked, snapping out of what he was watching, "Oh, shit!" he quickly put the figurine down. "Hey, Rachel, didn't you know a guy named Slade Wilson?"

"Yeah, why?" she asked.

"He's on the news." Vic pointed to the television, "He's not a nice guy, is he?"

"He definitely wasn't voted nicest in high school." Rachel said dryly, as she too looked at the television. A report came on how Slade was being accused of possession of illegal substances, and murder.(2)

"Murder?" Rachel asked.

"That's what they're saying." Vic said, "A prostitute. Apparently went by the name of Nurse Nancy." Rachel paled and felt sick, "The report says that she tried to take his drugs, he flipped and attacked her. She screamed, the person in the room next to them heard and went running in while his wife stayed behind and called 911." Here, he let the news report pick up.

Slade's mug shot was on the screen, definitely not flattering. The reporter was saying that they had just taken him into custody ten minutes ago. "The manager of the Bayside Motel tells our reporters that he is just grateful that none of the other people staying were hurt. Though Nancy was a frequent client and the entire staff is saddened by her grief as she had grown to be a friend." The screen flipped to footage of the hotel, "This is the scene as authorities apprehended Wilson. If you will remember, Wilson was recently instated as a partner of Roth Industries after former owner, Trigon Roth was killed in an accident while driving drunk. Slade was given his position as Roth's successor is still a minor and too young to follow in her father's place. Authorities are not releasing many details about the circumstances of the arrest or the event leading to it, but Denny Smith, the man who so bravely busted in the room, did give channel 5 an exclusive interview.

A man in his late thirties and his boxers and a "You might be a Redneck if.." shirt, came on to the screen, "The missus and I are in town here visitin' her brother and stayin' at this here mo-tell. Well, we was getting ready to settle in for the night after a long drive and day when we hears this screamin'! Well, I tell Harriet to call 911 and I go running over to the next room where somebody was just a hollerin' up a storm and I knocked, but got no response. So I kicked down the door and there that guy was, just beatin' the be-Jesus outta this lady. I thank the Lord I was a star defense in High School cuz that's what let me ram him and hold him down until the cops got here. They tell me the little thing died though. 'Tis a shame, a crying shame."

"Whoa." Gar said as the reporter came back on promising to keep the watchers up to date when more details came in.

"Rachel?" Vic asked, "Nancy, is she, was she the same-?"

"Yes." Rachel said looking down, "She was."

"Let's turn that off." Gar said walking over to the TV to turn it off. They finished cleaning in silence.

"Well, I gotta go." Rachel said after Vic returned from taking the trash out.

"Me too." Gar said, "See you tomorrow, Vic."

"See ya." Vic said as he went into the kitchen with the last of the soda to put in the fridge.

Rachel was at the end of the walk way when Gar caught up with her. "Were sorta going the same way for a while. Mind if we walk together?"

"Nope." she said as she hitched her bag up on her shoulder for a better hold.

"So." Gar said.

"So." Rachel returned.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air.

"Your parents make any interesting discoveries lately?" she asked, trying to end the silence. Normally she lived for silence, but right now, she would give anything for some noise.

"Not really." he said, shrugging, "But they think they might be getting close to finding the missing genetic link or something like that." (3)

"That sounds exciting." Rachel said, confused as to his less than enthusiastic response.

"They say that all the time." he shrugged, "But something always falls through and they still haven't found it."

"Oh, well I hope this time, they have." Rachel said.

"I do to." Gar said in a resigned voice, "But you won't catch me holding my breath."

"That unlikely?" she asked.

"I think that Mandy and Kitten will become nuns before they find it." Gar laughed. Rachel gave a small chuckle.

"Was that a giggle?" Gar asked.

"Nope." Rachel defended, "A chuckle. I don't giggle."

"I didn't even know you chuckled." Gar said, "Especially at one of my jokes."

"It wasn't at your joke. You're not funny." Rachel corrected him, "It was the image of Kitten and Mandy becoming nuns."

"That is a bit of a stretch." Gar acceded, "And the thought is rather funny."

The silence returned. Gar cleared his throat.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken," Rachel started, "this is where we part."

"I can finish walking you home." Gar offered.

"That's ok." Rachel said, "I need to think a bit."

"About?".

"What to say to Azar."

Gar nodded. They shared a goodbye, then parted. Rachel had walked to the end of the block when Gar called out to her and came running.

"I'll see you in school tomorrow, right?" he asked.

"Well, as tomorrow is Thursday, I guess so." she said.

"Oh, right." he said, rubbing the back of his neck as though embarrassed. "Uh, see you then, then. Uh, bye." and he ran off again.

"Odd." Rachel said aloud to herself, looking after his running from as it ran across the street and disappeared behind a house. She shrugged and walked to her house. Her thoughts of what she would tell Azar being constantly interrupted by Gar's weird good bye.

* * *

Notes:

1) Hehe.

2) Sorry if that's a bit much, but I needed a way to take care of Slade, and couldn't think of anything, but then a news broadcast came on how this guys was being arrested for the same thing while I was writing this and the next thing I knew was that it was here. A slightly morbid example of why I shouldn't have the TV or radio on while I write things. I later went back and added the conversation before and switched some things to fit this story.

3) I've recently gotten into reading the comic version of Teen Titans. In the "Beast Boys and Girls" book, it says that Gar's parents were looking for the missing link and that they had come close to finding it, and it was their experimental drug that saved Gar. I played off that here. Sorry if its too much, or if Gar's outlook on his parents research it a bit off, but I didn't want to make that a part of the story line, I just wanted to give them something to talk about. I dunno.

So, not as funny as the first, but I hope it'll do. And once again, sorry about the wait. Definitely shouldn't be as long for the next update.

As always, I hope you liked it! Lemme know.


	17. Chapter 17

Still don't own them.

* * *

Rachel knocked on Azar's office door when she reached the church. Azar, who had been looking at a picture, looked up, saw Rachel, quickly hid the picture and wiped her eyes. "Am I interrupting something?" Rachel asked, "I can come back later, or we can talk tomorrow."

"No, no." Azar said, "It's ok." she gave a smile that wanted to be real, but didn't quiet make it.

"If you're sure." Rachel said, a little leery. If Azar was already in an emotion state, she didn't want to make it worse.

"What say we go to the kitchen and get some ice cream, huh?" Azar asked, "I think there's still some root beer if you want a float. And I _know_ there's still some chocolate syrup (1) and other stuff needed for sundaes." she wiggled her eyebrows. Rachel chuckled.

They went the kitchen and worked in silence as they prepared their sundaes. They sat at the island and each heaved a huge sigh.

"Tell me, what's on your mind." Azar said.

Rachel took a deep breath and began to tell her story again. It seemed to get harder every time she told it, but she knew that she needed to tell it. Azar should know. When she finished, she looked down and pretended to be very interested in her still untouched sundae. She didn't want to look into Azar's face.

"Oh, my, Rachel!" Azar said. Azar hurried off her stool and around the island to pull Rachel in a hug. While not returning the hug, Rachel accepted it. She leaned into Azar's shoulder and cried. She let out the tears she had somehow managed to hold back earlier and let out new ones. After the worst of the tears were over, Rachel pulled back and wiped her eyes in a napkin. It was then that she noticed Azar was crying also. "If I knew, Rachel, I swear, if I knew… Oh, Rachel, I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault." Rachel said, handing Azar a napkin, "Look at us." she said through the remainder of her tears, "We're like a couple of leaky faucets."

"I should've known." Azar said to herself, not even seeming to hear Rachel's attempt to lighten the mood, "I should've known. I _did_ know. I suspected any way."

"Azar?" Rachel asked as Azar showed no signs of stopping her personal berating.

"Oh, Rachel." Azar said, "I am so, so sorry."

"For what?" Rachel asked, "Azar, I'm lost."

"I'll be right back." Azar said, then left the kitchen, heading in the direction of her office. When she returned, Azar had a small, square, piece of paper in her hands.

"I've been debating telling you about this ever since I realized, but I couldn't bring my self to tell you." Azar said.

Azar handed Rachel the paper and grabbed another napkin to daub her eyes. Rachel looked at the paper to see that it was a picture. The date on the back read about fifteen, almost sixteen years earlier. In the picture was a much younger looking Azar, a very pregnant woman, barely out of her teen years Rachel would've guessed, a girl in her teens who reminded Rachel of a younger version of Melvin and co.'s mother and a younger looking version of one of the monks.

"Arella was eight months pregnant in that picture." Azar said, "It seems like it was yesterday. We were celebrating the one year anniversary of being here. Had a party and all. Mr. Sattrethwaite is the one taking the picture."

"That's you, that's Mrs. Barnes-"

"When she was about your age. She was a Thompson then."

"And that's Phil." Rachel said as she pointed out Azar, Melvin's mom and the monk respectively, "I take it that's Arella?"

"Yes." Azar said.

Rachel looked at the picture some more. That woman seemed familiar, but only vaguely. "Is she still here?"

"No." Azar said sadly, "No. Arella had to leave."

"Why?"

"You see, Rachel, Arella was one of the people who decided to take a separate name while in the church. Many did at that time. Some still do, but it isn't as common. But Arella's real name was Angela. Angela Roth."

Rachel looked at the picture again. This time, she looked closer. The eyes. Those were her mother's eyes. She remembered them. That was her mother.

"Do you know where she is?" she asked. Maybe if Azar knew her before she left, she might till be in touch.

"I wish I did." Azar said, "She disappeared from all our lives the day she left yours. At the time I thought it was a blessing. I couldn't tell Trigon something I didn't know. I wondered why she didn't take you, but she had always said that he had never hit you, and swore up and down that he never would. I offered to take her in here numerous times, but after the first time, I guess we both knew that she'd never stay, that she'd go back. Then one day she just up and left. I got a letter from her about a week later, I keep it in a fire box under my hat box in the closet, I'll have to get it down someday, right now my closet's too much of a mess to find it. In it she asked me to stay strong for her, pray for her, and pray for you. She trusted Trigon to keep his promise, never thought he would lay a finger on you." Azar gave a sigh.

"You said the first time?" Rachel asked.

"We knew what he was doing to her." Azar said, frowning, "She wasn't quite as good at hiding it as you were. We talked to her about leaving him all the time. One time she did. Lived at my house, the old location of the church, about two days before she went back, said she couldn't live with the guilt of leaving him high and dry like that. " Azar snorted in disgust at the man Arella was feeling guilty about leaving, "She left a second time, but he knew where to find her that time. Kept going to the my house, begging her to go back to him. Swore he'd never do it again. That he couldn't help himself, that he didn't mean it. We managed to keep her for a week that time. She never again left him until ten years ago, when it was for good. The letter said she had finally had it. That she really didn't want to leave you, but that she knew she would never be able to give you any kind of home for a while, no kind of life. She trusted him. She trusted him so much, that I couldn't help but hope she was right. So much so that I think I forced myself to believe she was right. Only looked for signs to show she was right and ignored all the ones that said she was wrong. Rachel, I should've seen this. I should've known. But I didn't. I didn't want to." And Azar broke out in a fresh wave of tears. This time Rachel, as out of her comfort zone as it was, went over and gave Azar a hug.

"I _really _am a leaky faucet, aren't I?" Azar asked.

"I didn't think you heard me." Rachel said as she released her hold on Azar.

"I hear everything." Azar said, "Didn't you hear that rumor?"

"No." Rachel said, "But Timmy thinks you're a ninja-spy."(2)

"He does?"

"Yep."

"And how did I earn that esteemed title?"

"Well, you can be anywhere, at anytime." Rachel explained, "He said that one day, he walked in the bathroom and saw you at the other end of the hall. When he came out, you were talking to Francis next to the door. He thinks the only explanation is that you are a ninja-spy and came move "with the speed of a ninja and the cool music of a spy."

"Is that so?"

"Yep.

"The poor boy still has no idea how long it takes him to button up, does he?"

"Not a clue. But where did the music come from?"

"I don't know. Maybe one of the classes was watching a movie that day or something."

Both shrugged. They looked at the island and the still forgotten and now melted sundaes. "Eww." Azar said.

"Ah, well." Rachel said, "I shouldn't have that much sugar this late at night anyway. I'd never fall asleep."

"What say we clean up while we make some tea?" Azar asked, "I got this new kind that's called "Sleepy Time" tea. Supposed to be great for right before bed."

"Sounds good."

* * *

"So when's the play?" Azar asked.

"There's a showing on this Friday and Saturday evening." Rachel said, "The advanced group will be doing theirs next weekend."

"Will there be any more for the year?" Azar asked, "Seems almost a waste to have it in the first half of the year. I mean, what are the drama students to do the rest of the year?" (3)

"I dunno." Rachel said, thinking about this, "I'll have to ask."

They waited in silence for a while, lost in thought. Both were pulled from said thoughts when the kettle began to whine.

"So." Azar said as she poured the water, "Anything else new?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Anything."

"Name a topic."

"Ok, boys. Let's talk about boys." Rachel's face turned the color of the burner, "I see there is a boy." Azar said, a grin fighting to break loose.

"No." Rachel said, lowering her blush, "No boy."

"But you wish there was?"

"I don't know, Azar. I'm really confused about him right now. Like, I know I have feelings for him, but I also know that he doesn't feel anything for me about friendship level."

"Eww, the friend crush." Azar said making a face, "That's an evil one to get."

"Tell me about it."

"So what do you plan on doing?"

"I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should risk the friendship and tell him, or protect it and not tell him."

"That is one mighty tough call."

"Any advise."

"Honey, I'm single for many reasons. One, it's easier, less stress and stuff. Two, I suck at the whole guy thing too." They shared a laugh. "Have you told anyone?"

"Jenny knows." Rachel said, taking a sip of her tea, "This stuff is good." she said and took another sip, "But she knew before _I_ did."

"Talk to her about it." Azar said, also taking a sip, "Hmm, this is good."

Line thing

* * *

1) Ok, people, poll time: is it A) Sir-up, or B) Sear-up? Lemme know.

2) Just like high school principal's.

3) Honestly, what was I thinking? Definite stupid moment for me! I allow, and encourage, you all to call me any variety of stupid name you wish. But either way, it will not be included in this story. To tell you the truth, I had already planned on having this wrapped up by now, but I really didn't like what I had before, and in the process of rewriting, it grew longer. So back when I said there were only like 2-4 chapters left, while at the time there were only 2-4 left, there's probably gonna be more, but it is almost done. I'm thinking 5-7 from that point, but definitely not more than 10, that would just be overkill.

So, I pretty much summed everything up in 3. Uh, hope you get the same pronunciations out of my attempted things in 1. Just curious. That's kinda like the car-mel vs. care-a-mel thing. I'll post the results next chapter.

Til then, lemme know! ;)


	18. Chapter 18

I wish I owned them, but it hasn't come true yet. If I did, the show would be back on air and ALL the seasons would be on DVD, not just the first season and a half.

* * *

The next day was a little weird for Rachel. For starters, she noticed just how much of a cold shoulder Tara was giving Gar. She had been so busy trying to ignore their gag worthy "cute couple-ness" that she had been deliberately looking at anything but them. But today she saw that not only was Tara not speaking to Gar, but she wasn't helping him either. She felt bad for him, knowing the difficulty of the project.

If that didn't make things complicated enough for her, Kori kept throwing knowing glances at her in math class. When the teacher had finished teaching for the day, she finally asked her about it.

"What?" she demanded. Ok, so she didn't really "ask" as much as "investigated".

"Nothing." Kori said in her overly innocent voice that just let you know that she was indeed up to something.

"I'm afraid." Rachel said, turning in her seat to gather her books.

"There is no need to be afraid." Kori said, still in that oh-so-innocent voice that just served to instill more fear in Rachel's being. But here Kori's tone took on a hushed, serious tone, "How did your talk with Azar go?" Rachel told Kori of the basics of her talk, with out getting into specifics. "That is most-"" but Kori didn't have a word for it.

"I get what you mean." Rachel said when Kori waved her arms in a loss, "I felt the same when I found out. I mean, think about it, how weird is that?"

"Very."

A silence fell over the pair of them. Then the teacher called out, "Who among you is involved in the play?" Rachel, Kori and a few others raised their hands. "Well, as this is the last time I will see you before opening night tomorrow, break a leg."

"That is correct!" Kori exclaimed to Rachel after the teacher went back to grading papers, "We have the rest of the day and tomorrow off!"

"You forgot?"

"Yes, I had. But I am most elated now!"

A girl behind Kori, named Kole, leaned forward, "That's just because you get to see Dick sooner and more today." she said with a smirk. Kori blushed.

"Are we that bad?" Kori asked. Kole scoffed and leaned back in her seat to resume her previous conversation.

"Please," Rachel said, "if you two were in the same year, you would be voted "Cutest Couple" in your senior year."

"I think that title belongs else where." Kori said, pensively.

"Really? Who?"

"I cannot say. They are not a couple yet."

"They can't be voted for if they aren't a couple."

"Oh, they will be a couple, they just aren't yet." Kori said in the same innocent voice from before. "Yes, I believe they will." And she gave Rachel a knowing look.

Rachel shivered.

* * *

They had gathered in the auditorium and waited for instructions. Rachel had gone to sit next to Jenny and Jericho and in the same vicinity of Kori, Gar, Vic and Dick, but Kori raced up to Jenny and requested a "private word". (1)

"Potty party!" Jenny exclaimed and the two were off to the nearest girls room.

"Where do you suppose they're up to?" asked a voice from behind Rachel.

"Dunno, Gar." she replied, "Come on, lets get some seats." And the two went to sit down. Rachel sat on Jericho's left, Gar on her left, Vic next to him, then Dick followed by and empty seat. An older student went to sit in the empty seat next to Dick, but he looked daggers at him.

"That seat is taken." he said.

"Sorry, bud." the older student said and went to find another seat.

A little later, a grinning Jenny and Kori returned from their "potty party" and took their respective seats at each end of the line, Jenny next to Jericho and Kori next to Dick.

"Where's Aggie?" Jenny asked after waiting long enough to let the others know that she was not open to discussion about her latest trip to the bathroom.

Jericho wrote, "Getting her wisdom teeth pulled. She'll be here later."

Jenny and Rachel made faces of pain for their friend, then turned to listen to Garth tell them on the schedule for the day.

"Ok, people." he said, standing on the end of the stage, "Here's the deal. The first classes props and things are at the Victoria, the advanced classes are here. The advanced class will run through their play once for the first class, then we will all hop the bus to the Victoria. Once there, the advanced class will help the first class in what ever way is needed. However, first class, remember that this it _your_ play and that the advanced class will only be there to help. Alright then, people, let's get to this!"

The people in the advanced play stood up and went about arranging props and other necessary things. Aggie came in right before they were to start with her cheeks filled with cotton and still having some giggles.

"Iss duh dwugs dey habe be on." she struggled to get out, her mouth was still numb, and that coupled with the cotton filling her mouth and the occasional outbursts of giggles made her a silly sight.

Jericho and Jenny switched places so that the mute friend could sit next to his girlfriend. Though Rachel couldn't see it, Kori and Dick also switched places (Kori insisted to Dick that Red, who was sitting in the next group of seats, kept looking at her and it made her nervous, but in reality, she needed to talk to Vic).

The advanced class started their play which was a variety of small plays. Each play was a modernization of a classic fairytale with a twist of humor. They started with "Little Red Riding in the Hood" , moved to "The Gingerbread Thief" and finished with "Hansel and Gretel go Hollywood" (2)

Rachel had to hand it to the writers, they were funny, being kid friendly, but with bits of humor the adults would get that would leave the kids in a total blank. Rachel watched on as purposely crude props, such as the "cars" being made out of cardboard and painted with tempra paint were held up by the rider who was scooting along on a clearly visible rolling desk chair. Then a "thug" pulled out a hot pink squirt gun and demanded of "Little Red" "Gimme yo stash!"

"What?" "Little Red" asked, "I'm just on my way to my Grandmothers house you deliver these fresh baked cookies." (3)

"Gimme the cookies!" the "thug" demanded again, then said in a sultry tone, "I want _all_ yo cookies."

With their minds in the gutter due to his voice most of the first class broke out in laughter. Even Rachel had a grin on her face.

Later, in the Hansel and Gretel go Hollywood, Hansel and Gretel were talking to their acting agent, the "evil witch", and discussing ways to make them bigger in the media. "I have an idea" the agent said, then whispered something into Gretel's ear.

"I don't want to." Gretel said, "I won't."

"But you must." the agent said, "For I am your agent, and I demand it!" Right at this point in time, some one in the background crashed some cymbals to give the effect of lighting and thunder and the agent cackled evilly.

Gretel hung her head and Hansel consoled her, "Don't' worry, Gretel, it'll be fine. And the people will love us for it!"

They walked around stage. Once they disappeared behind the curtain, the props people, dressed as gnomes, stole across the stage, pretending to surreptitiously change the props making the agent's office turn into a doctor's office. Hansel and the agent returned on stage. The agent sat down calmly, while Hansel paced. Then someone dressed as a doctor came on stage.

"It was a success!" the doctor said with the air of an evil mad scientist. Rachel fully expected him to bust out with "It's alive, It's alive!" but instead, Gretel, in a hospital gown and footie socks came out with balloons blown up to the point of popping shoved in her shirt, clearly indicating what is was that the agent demanded. The first class bust out laughing and even Rachel gave a small laugh. Gar looked at her when he heard, a huge smile on his face.

"You laughed!" he said, "You laughed!'

"But it wasn't at one of your jokes, now was it?" she asked, quickly sobering

"You still laughed." he said, facing front to watch the rest of the play. While keeping his vision focused forward, he leaned over to Rachel and said, "Don't worry, I won't tell." (4)

* * *

When the advanced play had finished their play and had things back where they went so they could find them next time, Garth told them to start heading out to the parking lot where there was two buses waiting to take them to the theater. Rachel just kind of assumed that she would be riding with Jenny, but the first thing out of Jenny's mouth was "Hey, Vic, ride with me?"

"Sure, Jen." came Vic's reply with a little too much enthusiasm. Rachel raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Jericho and Aggie were already heading to the door, holding hands, and Dick and Kori were arguing over the who got the window seat.

"So I guess it's me and you." Gar said turning to her.

"You will _never_ believe what I heard about Brother Blod!" Jenny exclaimed to Vic, "Remember him?"

"You mean Brother _Blood_?" Vic asked, "I remember him. Man he was a creepy old monk, huh?"

"Most definitely!" Jenny said, and she and Vic went off towards the door reminiscing and discussing news.

"Brother Blood?" Rachel asked.

"This old monk that lived in Vic's old neighborhood." Gar explained as they started to make their way to the door.

"Oh."

"So what's new with you?" Gar asked almost as soon as they got out of the auditorium.

"You mean since last night?"

"Heh, uh, yeah."

"Nothing. You?"

"Same."

"How's Tommy?"

"He's doing good. They released him. It's a good thing too. He was going stir crazy in there."

"I can imagine if he's anything like you."

They walked out of the school and into the blinding light of the outside. Both squinted until their eyes adjusted. They saw the others standing waiting to get on the bus and headed over to wait with them. They waited in silence for a while. They heard the bell inside the school ring, signaling the end of the period. They boarded and found a group of seats close together. Rachel sat next to the window, and Gar next to the isle. They waited in silence for the bus to leave.

"What a strapping conversation, wouldn't you say?" Gar asked.

"'Strapping'?" Rachel asked.

"I dunno." he said, "I heard it in a movie."

"And to think, I thought it was from a cartoon."

"Now that you mention it…" he said, a sly grin on his face. He really did have a nice smile. His grin, almost a smirk, caused his lips to reveal one of his canine teeth, the bottom, left one. It almost looked like a fang. It was- cute.

She broke her gaze of his face and forced herself to look out the window. She really needed to stop those thoughts. She had thought about it over night and decided that her friendship with him was worth more than a possible fling she might have. She didn't want to risk it. But the things she was feeling were not operated like a light switch, she couldn't turn them on and off with a simple flick of the wrist. She busied herself watching a flag hang limp in the distance, there was no wind to make it move.

Jenny, who was sitting in the seat in front of Rachel and Gar, turned in her seat. "Jericho tells me you need to speak to us later?"

"Yeah." Rachel said, not looking forward to it, but knowing it needed done. After them, she would be done. And she could work on forgetting.

"What about?" Jenny asked.

"Later." Rachel said.

"Don't leave me hanging." Jenny protested.

"Later, I promise."

"Come on." Jenny said, "I'm bored. This guy," she pointed at Vic, "remembers things different than I do and we're gonna get into an argument."

"She said later." Gar said, "It's not a bus conversation."

"You mean he knows?" Jenny asked.

"I told him last night." Rachel said.

"This guy know?" Jenny again pointed at Vic.

"Yes, but don't ask him, I need to be the one to tell you."

"What is it that's so important."

"Remember you asked me to come to you when I was ready?" Rachel asked. Jenny face fell. "I'm not ready yet, but things have happened to make it easier to go ahead and tell now."

"Sit down!" the bus driver yelled. Jenny, still at a loss for words, sat down.

It was then that Rachel and Gar realized that one had grabbed the other's hand during the mini-argument with Jenny. They both looked at their clasped hands. They blushed and looked tentatively at each other, quickly let go and looked in opposite directions. (5)

'Good gods, Rachel! What on Earth were you thinking?' Rachel berated herself, convinced that she had grabbed his hand. 'So much for letting those feelings go! No, you just had to go and grab his hand! Way to go!"

Gar's thoughts were not all that different, "Great going, Gar! Grab her hand! Why don't you just get up and sing her a song why you're at it? _I'll Cover You_ would be a good choice! Since you're hell bent on scaring her away again, might as well go all out! Why not sing _I Think I Love You_? God, you're so stupid!" (6)

After ten minutes of this uncomfortable, outward silence, Gar cleared his throat, leaned over and whispered, "Sorry about that."

"It was my fault."

"We'll we're both sorry, let's make a deal. You don't tell, I don't tell."

"Deal."

"I would suggest we shake on it, but given the current condition…"

"I agree, no shaking."

He held up his fist. She raised an eyebrow, as though asking if he was serious. "Would you rather shake?" he asked her. She quickly raised a fist and they hit them off each other. "So, that aside." Gar said.

"You don't like to stay quiet long, do you?" she asked.

"Not if it can be helped." he said. Rachel rolled her eyes as Gar threw different topics for discussion.

* * *

Over all, the all day practice session proved helpful. At lunch, when they were excused to go where they wanted, Rachel, Jenny, Jericho and Aggie went to a small place where she told them everything she had told the others. They looked appalled at what had happened and offered comfort and sympathy.

After they got back, they saw Gar and Tara really getting into it again.

"How did they ever get along enough to start dating in the first place?" Aggie asked the others. (7)

"But, Gar-baby, I want you back! I said I was sorry!" Tara pleaded.

"No Tara." Gar said, "I'll forgive you, but we can not be together any more."

"But why?" Tara shouted.

"Uh, because you were sleeping with him when we still together." Gar said in a 'duh!' voice.

"Who told you that? They're a no good dirty liar! It was that Rachel, wasn't it? She was always jealous of me! She's just a bit-"

"**_Never_** talk about Rachel like that! Ever!" Gar yelled. It was the first he had raised his voice, "And, no, she didn't tell me that. You did."

Tara seemed at a loss for words. "But, Gar, Gar-baby-"

"Don't call me that." Gar said, his voice being so low that they almost didn't hear him, "Go back to _him_." Tara mumbled something. "What?" Gar asked.

"He dumped me! Ok? You happy now?" Tara yelled, going from on the verge of to all out hysterics.

Gar shook his head, "I'm sorry. But that's not my problem." and with that he walked to the front of the stage and jumped off. He walked up the center isle. As he got closer to where they were standing, Rachel could see all the emotions in his face. Her heart went out to him.

"Gar?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Rachel." he said, putting on a false smile, "I just need some air. Be back in in a minute." They watched him go out the doors, slamming them after he passed. Everyone looked to the stage to see Tara in tears. Tara turned on her heal and marched off stage.

"We should go check in with Lindy and let her know we're here." Jenny said after conversation had started back up.

"You guys go ahead." Rachel said, "I'm gonna go check on Gar."

"You sure?" Jenny asked, "He looked to be in a pretty 'do not disturb' kinda mode." Rachel just nodded and headed in the direction Gar went.

She saw him pacing in front of the theater, mumbling under his breath. "Gar?"

"What?" he snapped as he turned on his heel to look at the interrupter of his musings. He face slackened when he saw Rachel.

"You ok?" she asked him.

"Yeah." he said as he sighed, "Sorry."

"I would've yelled too." she assured him.

"Not just for the yelling." he said, "What she was saying, what she was implying. I'm sorry for that."

"I've been called worse, Gar." she chuckled.

"That doesn't make it right." he grumbled. He looked around, then growled, "Urgh, she makes me so mad."

"Apparently, she's good at that." Rachel smirked. Gar looked at her with a questioning glance, saw her smirk, then gave a small smile in return,

"Thanks." he said.

"Just doing my job." she said in the closest thing to a sing song voice any one ever heard her use.

"Did you hear her?" he asked incredulously. Rachel wanted to say the dead heard them, but thought it best to hold her tongue. Gar took a higher pitched voice, "Gar-baby, I want you back!" he sneered, "The only reason she wants me back is because _he_ broke up with her, otherwise, she wouldn't even look at me." Rachel didn't know what to say, she couldn't very well say that Tara didn't know what was right in front of her, that would give her away. The next question out of Gar's mouth frightened her, "I'm not that bad am I?"

She took time to "think" about it, making a show of it to let him know that it was for fun, "No." she said pensively after a while, "I guess not." She grinned and was relieved to see him give a sad smile.

"I still can't believe you laughed earlier."

"It was more of a chuckle.'

"No, it was a laugh."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, they're going to be starting soon."

They walked up to the stage. Kori rushed over to Gar to be sure he was alright. Vic and Dick didn't run up to him, but they did come over. He assured him that he was alright, and went onto the stage to practice the Life Support scene.

"Thank you, Rachel." Vic said, "Tara's still a sore spot for him. It's hard to get him to calm down when she's his problem."

"How is she?" Rachel asked, not really caring, but feeling the need to be polite.

"Still crying." Dick said.

"This will be a most hard time for her." Kori said, "She is the kind that needs to be loved. Right now, no one loves her." (8)

A silence drifted among them. "Come on." Vic said, "We should get to work."

They went their separate ways and went about doing their separate things. Dick led Kori off to an empty dressing room so they could practice their songs, Vic went up to acquaint himself better with the lighting system, and Rachel went to make sure that all the props she was in charge of where in their rightful places.

* * *

They ran through the play a few times. Everything went off with out a hitch, except for the first time Mark and Maureen were in a scene together and Tara went running off crying. "Such a drama queen." Gar muttered under his breath.

When they were done for the day, they were given the option of going back the school, or leaving from there. As Vic's baby was at the school, Vic rode the bus, along with Gar, who was going to Vic's house. Kori and Dick walked to Kori's house to drop off their stuff before going to see a movie. Rachel and Jenny were going to the church, where Jericho would meet them after walking Aggie home.

"So what did you and Gar talk about?" Jenny asked.

"When?" Rachel asked.

"Let's start with on the bus."

"Noting much, really." Rachel said, suppressing a blush at the memory of the "incident", as she now referred to it as.

"Then how 'bout when you went to get him?"

"Tara."

"Well, poo." Jenny said, "That's not very fun."

"The conversation wasn't meant to be fun." Rachel said, "Now why this interest in what Gar and I talked about?"

"Oh, no reason." Jenny said in a totally unconvincing tone.

"Tell me." Rachel pushed.

"Nope." Jenny said, "I swore an oath of secrecy!"

"Tell me."

"Nothin; doin'." Rachel rolled her eyes. "So what are we doing today?" Jenny asked. And Rachel started to discuss ideas for their literacy campaign.

* * *

Notes:

1) (Dramatic music plays) A narrator's voice is heard, "Plotting!" Hehe, sorry, I couldn't resist.

2) Little Red Riding in the Hood and the Ginger Bread Thief are not mine. They are the creations of one of the high school drama classes when I was still in grade school.

3) "Cookies", yeah right. Sure they are.

4) Sorry if they weren't all that funny, but when I was writing this, I was in that sleepy state where _EVERYTHING_ is funny.

5) All together now.…."AWWWWW!"

6) Ok, clear this up now. Gar does NOT love Rachel, at least not yet. He does have strong feelings for her, but those aren't love. Love, I believe is something that takes time. Very rarely is "love at first sight" actually love, it's typically lust.

7) Aggie's speech still came out muffled, but I was too lazy to try to figure out what it would sound like. Sorry.

8) Ok, this is not one of those "Yeah! I hate Terra/Tara and now everyone in the story does too!" type of deals. This is a moment where I actually felt bad for Terra/Tara and wondered what it would be like in her shoes. What could make her the way she was? And this is what I decided. But now that I have the guilt of hating Terra/Tara out of me, I carry on, guilt free.

Ok, as of right now, pretty much all reviewers say sear-up, except one and it depends on their mood. At least one of you say car-mel. Keeping with the poll thing, just cuz it's fun, that will be today's question. Car-mel or care-a-mel? Hehe. You assignment tonight is to think of other things people say differently. (Aren't I so evil, it's summer and I'm asking you to think! Evil me!)

But I hoped you liked that! Lemme know! Until next time! ;)


	19. Chapter 19

On my birthday, I wished that I could own the Teen Titans. I'm begining to doubt the whole birthday wish thing. (aka: still don't own them- or anything else for that matter...)

* * *

The next day was similar to the day before in that the people involved in the play would meet at school, ran through the advanced class's play, then hopped the buses to the theater, but today they didn't have to go to class and there was considerably less drama. 

Today did offer a new experience in that they were wearing their costumes. The props people spent the first half of the morning cleaning stored props out of three changing rooms, one for the boys and two for the girls. Gar, on the other hand never really had the time to go to a changing room for half of his changes, being on stage so much, so they set up a little cubby hole for him in the area behind the stage where they kept all the extra props.

Lindy instructed them on as to where they were to be and when. "Ok, Jericho, you'll be in charge of bulky props, the big things, grab a couple of guys and walk through everything with them so you and they can move them when they need to be moved. Jenny, smaller props, detail things. Same thing, gather a small team and run through it with them. Aggie, downstairs changing rooms. Garb a group to help you lay out the costumes. Red, you'll work the pulley system for the back drops. Rachel, tell him when what needs to come down. You'll also be telling people where to be back here, and in charge of Gar's costumes."

"Shouldn't a guy do that?" Rachel asked.

"Tell me where to find another reliable guy that will know which costume when and he'll get the job. Until then, sorry." Lindy told her in a very short voice right before walking off.

Rachel let out a very exhausted sigh. Jenny leaned over to her, "Hey, maybe you'll see Gar with out a shirt." An evil grin spread over Jenny's face as Rachel turned as red as Rudolf's nose. "Or better yet," Rachel dreaded what was coming next, "in his skibs." Jenny cackled, yes, cackled, not laughed, as she walked away. Rachel just stood there, in a comatose like state, staring a head. And who should walk up behind her but,

"Hey, Rea." Gar said in a much lighter mood, "Oh, sorry, Rachel." he corrected himself before she could yell at him. "They tell me that you're going to be in charge of my costumes. That's cool, isn't- are you ok?"

"Fine. I'm fine." Rachel said, not quite looking him in the face.

"Are you sure?" he asked, "You don't look ok."

"I'm fine." she said, a fake smile plastered on her face, "Uh, I gotta go, uh, over there. I gotta go over there. So, uh, bye."

Gar looked after Rachel as she hurriedly walked away from him, "What in the world?" he asked himself before walking off.

Rachel ran off to find Jenny and maim her for the images inserted in her head. Instead she found a giggling Jenny and Kori. She was slightly afraid of what they were giggling about, partly because Jenny still had some of the maniacal gleam in her eye, but also because they were giggling. Giggles are contagious and Rachel had always prided herself on _not_ giving into the power of the giggle, but in her shocked state of mind…

She had just steeled up the nerve to go over and severely, cruelly and unusually punish Jenny when Lindy walked up to her. "Hey." Lindy said.

"Yes?" Rachel asked, almost afraid to ask.

"I'm sorry about your assignment." Lindy said, "Jenny told me that you would've loved it. That you and Gar really get along and that you would be able to keep him in order and on task. I figured I'd go for it, guaranteed down to earth person in there. But I'm sensing a little," she searched for a word, "uncomfortableness, coming form you. If it bothers you that much, I can try to find someone else."

But all Rachel heard was that Jenny told Lindy to give Rachel that job, and unless Rachel was mistaken, Kori was in on it too. Rachel did her best to keep her cool. There really was no need to shoot the messenger. She casually thanked Lindy, then left to join Jenny and Kori, the giggles now over and replaced by quiet whispering.

Rachel walked up to them, calm as she could be, "A word?" she asked them.

"Certainly!" Kori said, quite excited, "Jenny tells me that you shall have many words to say."

"I do." Rachel said, straining not to lose it then and there, "But not here."

"Where?" Jenny asked.

"Outside." Rachel answered. The other two followed Rachel out the side door and halfway along the alley between the theater and the building next-door.

"You ok?" Jenny asked when Rachel finally stopped.

"What the _hell_ are you two up to?" Rachel asked in the quietest yell she could manage.

"What are you talking about?" Jenny asked, trying, and failing to hide a guilty face. Kori looked shocked.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!" Rachel said, "I would've loved being in charge of Gar's changes?"

"Lindy told you?" Kori asked.

"Yes!" Rachel said.

"Damn," Jenny said looking disappointed, almost as though she lost on a scratch lottery ticket, "She wasn't supposed to."

"I've gathered that." Rachel said.

"So you do not like Gar? You do not have the feelings for him?" Kori asked.

"That's not what I said." Rachel said, "What I said was-"

"So you do have the feelings for him?" Kori asked, her face lighting up.

"That's not what I said either." Rachel said, "You two need to stop that!"

"Stop what?" Jenny asked, "Putting words in your mouth or saying you like Gar?"

"Putting words in my mouth!"

"So we can still say you like Gar and we can play match maker, we just can't put words in your mouth?" Jenny clarified.

"Yes!" Rachel said, then, "Wait! What? No! Ugh, I'm confused!"

"I too am very much confused." Kori said, "What is it we are not allowed to do?"

"First off," Jenny said, taking control of the situation while Rachel was still confused, "I want to hear her say it."

"Say what?" Rachel asked, massaging her temples.

"That you like him."

"Why?"

"Because you do." Kori said.

"What difference does it make if I do or don't?" she asked, trying to avoid saying it. Saying it to Azar had been hard, well out of her comfort zone, but this was too far out of it. These guys actually talked to Gar on a daily basis.

"So you do?" Jenny asked, her smirk in place. Rachel wanted to rip it off and feed it to her through her ears.

"I don't see where that has anything to do with the matter at hand." Rachel protested.

"It has everything to do with the matter at hand." Kori said solemnly.

Rachel just stared at the ground. This wasn't going at all to plan, not that she really had a plan. They were supposed to be cowering in fear, begging for forgiveness. But instead they were pushing it, they were the ones insisting. This wasn't right. "No it doesn't." she protested.

"Rachel." Jenny said, smirk still firmly in place, "Just say it, already."

"No!"

"But, if you have the feelings for Gar, then why not say so?" Kori asked.

"We're just gonna keep bothering you til you say it." Jenny said. Kori nodded.

"Fine." Rachel said, "I kinda do." She looked resolutely at the pavement of the alley.

"You kinda do what?" Jenny asked.

"Nothing like rubbing salt in it." Rachel said, glaring at her, "I kinda like Gar."

"Kind of, or do?" Kori asked. Kori now had a slight smirk, but a smile was fighting to break free. The smirk was a little scary on Kori's face in all actuality.

"I do, ok?" Rachel said, "I like Gar! Can we be done now?"

"This is most glorious!" Kori exclaimed, jumping up and down, the smile bursting forth.

"What's so glorious about it?" Rachel said, looking back to the weed poking out of a crack in the cement.

"But if you like Gar, and Gar likes you as I suspect he does-" Kori started.

Rachel scoffed. "I doubt that."

"Doubt what?" Jenny asked, her smirk giving way to a frown.

"I doubt he likes me." Rachel elaborated, "I mean, why would he?"

"Because you are smart, funny-" Kori began.

"You listen." Jenny cut in.

"What ever." Rachel said, rolling her eyes, still looking at the brown, dead plant sticking out of the ground. She wondered what it used to be.

"I have seen the way he looks at you." Kori said, putting a consolatory hand on Rachel's shoulder, "The way he seems to be able to stare into your eyes forever, the way I am able to do with Dick's eyes. He most definitely has the feelings for you."

"He's just feeling guilt because he blames himself." Rachel said tearing her eyes away from the dead plant and looking at the sleeves of her shirt.

"That's not it." Jenny said.

"Then he's on the rebound and is trying to make a quick come back." Rachel said, looking at the stitching of the long sleeves that, due to the way she was holding her sleeves in her hands, ran along the scars.

"He never looked at Tara that way." Kori said.

"They never looked at each other much." said Jenny wryly, "Their eyes were closed too often." That did its job and elicited a small chuckle from Rachel.

"Be that as it may." Kori said, "I have seen it in the way he not only looks into your eyes, but the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is looking."

"Sure." Rachel said, still disbelieving.

Jenny looked about to protest, when Dick poked his head out the door leading fromt he alley to the back stage of the theater, "Hey, you guys, Garth wanrs to run through it two more times with the lightting before lunch."

"We'll be right there." Jenny called. She went to say what she was about to say when Rachel started to head towards the door. Kori and Jenny followed her in. when they got inside, Rachel immediately started to put extras where they needed to be for the next scene.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Centered on Jenny and Kori**_

"Well, that could've gone better." Jenny said.

"Why does Rachel have such low self esteem?" Kori asked.

"You have to think about what her life was like before you guys." Jenny said, "The closest thing she was rumored to have as a friend was Malchoir, and that ended in a nasty way."

"I have heard of that." Kori said.

"Well, other than that, the nicest people to her were those that left her alone. And though I was pretty bad when we were fighting, I was no where near the worst, but Kitten and Mandy are close."

"What are you guys talking about?" Dick asked, coming over to join the conversation.

"Rachel." Kori said.

"Rachel? Or Rachel and Gar?" Dick asked.

"Both." Kori sighed.

"Is it just me, or its it very sad that _he_ knows, but _they_ don't?" Jenny asked.

"I will agree." Kori said. Dick looked offended, but then Kori said, "I am sorry, Dick, but you are not the most observant in the area of emotions."

"She's telling you the truth." Jenny said.

"Anyway." Dick said, giving a huge sigh, "What can I do?"

Jenny and Kori got a huge smirk on their faces, and a chill ran down Dick's back.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Back to Rachle**_

Not her day. Nope, this was not her day. After she got all the extras in place she went to find Red to make sure he knew the first two backdrops. After confirming that, she went to find her clip board. She stumbled on the way down the stairs where the clipboards were stored in a cardboard box in the main room area. And guess who she saw when she got down there. Yes, something up there hated her. She saw Gar.

"Hey, Rachel." he said, "Just grabbing my things. You?"

"Finding my clipboard." she said as she fished said organizer out of the box, "Need a hand?"

"Please." he said as he dropped two shirts and his scarf. Rachel picked the shirts and scarf up and grabbed a few more things off of him. "Thanks." he said, smiling at her, showing his pearly whites. She gave him a small smile back, her heart fluttering a little. Kori's words floated in her head, 'He most definitely has the feelings for you.'

"No problem." she said.

"Rachel?" he asked, taking a step closer to her, though they had already been very close.

"Yes?" she took another step closer. They were very, very close now.

"I- I-" he was pulling closer. She could see the flecks of silver in his icy blue eyes.

They heard a stumbling at the top of the stairs. They quickly jumped apart. Red poked his head down. "They need Gar if its ok with you, Rachel." he said. (1)

Rachel turned very red in the face, looked down and nodded. Not looking at Gar, she spoke to him, "Just drop your stuff here." she said, "I'll get it in a minute."

"Ok." he said, not looking at her. He put his stuff on the nearest table and bolted up the stairs.

Red was still at the top, chuckling to himself. After Gar passed him, he started down the stairs. "Well, that was interesting." he smirked.

"Tell anyone and die." she hissed.

"Like that scares me." he said, still chuckling.

"Then I'll castrate you." she hissed. Being male, Red pales slightly. (2)

"I wasn't going to tell anyone any way." he said.

"You weren't?"

"Why do that and take away any amo for blackmail I have on you two?" he asked.

"You're despicable." she said, rolling her eyes as he picked up the stuff that Gar dropped.

"Just looking out for number one." Red chuckled as he followed Rachel up the steps.(3)

_**

* * *

**_

_**Centered on Dick**_

If Rachel or Gar caught him he was dead. Worse than dead. Whatever that was. But currently, Rachel was busy placing extras for the subway scene while helping Jericho get the subway scene stuff together, needless to say she had her hands full, and Gar was in the "Will I" life support scene. He looked at Jenny, who gave him the thumbs up after making sure that Rachel was still busy with Jericho. He snuck into Gar's little cubby area and rooted through the costumes to find what he was looking for. He found it, the second shirt Gar was to wear. He smirked to himself. He then laid it atop the table next to where the cubby hole was. He then took the other costumes out and hung them on the coat rack not far from the cubby, but far enough to hopefully work. He then walked past Jenny who knew that phase one was done.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Centered on Jenny**_

After Dick walked past her, the signal that his part was done, Jenny went over to Rachel and Jericho. They had just finished preparing the subway scene, which had been built on wheels and now just needed to be rolled on stage in front of a black backdrop. "Rachel?" she asked.

"What?" asked a very jumpy Rachel.

"Lindy told me to have you move most of Gar's stuff out of his cubby. I had someone else do it because I saw that you were busy. The only costume in there right now is his next one."

"Oh, ok." Rachel said, still a little jumpy, but less so than earlier. What happened to make her so jumpy? Was she still on edge about that talk?

_**

* * *

**_

_**Back to Dick**_

"Gar." Dick called out.

"What?" Gar jumped, "What ever Red said, it isn't true!"

"What?" Dick asked, "What did Red say?"

"Oh, uh, I dunno." Gar said, "I just heard that it wasn't true." he planted an overly large smile on his face.

"Whatever, man," Dick said, thinking that he needed to go see Red in the near future, "Jenny told me that Lindy told her to tell you that most of your costumes have been moved and that you're only to have one costume in there at a time."

"Oh, uh, ok." Gar said.

"So what did Red say?" Dick prodded.

"Nothing." Gar said quickly, "Come on, we need to go out there."

After the subway scene was over and the "I'll Cover You" song was being done on stage, he quickly went over to Kori.

"Find out what Red knows." he said.

"What?" she asked.

"I was talking to Gar earlier and he was really jumpy, something about Red saying something." Dick said.

"What does this have to do with our Rachel/Gar problem?" Kori asked.

"I don't know." Dick answered, "Maybe nothing. But it can't hurt to find out."

_**

* * *

Centered on Kori **_

She walked tentatively up to Red who was working the backdrops. They were currently in the corporate scene which meant that Gar was on stage and Rachel had been roped into helping Jenny get small props together.

"Hey." Red said as soon as he noticed that she was walking up to him.

"I must ask you a question." she said.

"Ask me anything." he said.

"It is about my friends Rachel and Gar." she probed.

Red chuckled, "What about them?" he asked.

"I'm not sure." Kori answered truthfully, "I was hoping you could tell me."

"That'll cost." Red said.

"Excuse me?"

"That info will cost you."

"I have," Kori paused to count her money, "Five dollars and sixty five cents."

"That's not what I meant." Red said, a smirk on his face.

"Then I do not understand."

"I want a date." (4)

"I shall be more than willing to play the cupid for you!" Kori exclaimed, "Please tell me, who is the girl you wish to date?"

"You."

"What? But I am already dating someone."

"Do you want the info or not?"

"I do."

"Then I want a date."

"I shall return." Kori said.

Dick was not going to be pleased.

* * *

Dick was livid. No, Dick was beyond livid. There was no word to describe who mad Dick was, so everyone gave up trying. They had just returned from lunch, Rachel was off to have a head count of the extras, making sure they were all there, and Garth had called Gar over to go over something with him. 

"But it _is_ about Gar and Rachel?" Vic, who had been quickly filled in, asked.

"I assume so." Kori said, Dick was still to mad to talk.

"Well, what ever it was, we'll never get it if he's putting that price on it." Jenny said, "We'll just have to forget about it and go on."

"Question, if you took his shirt, why didn't that happen?" Vic asked.

"I told Rachel, not who did it, but that his things were moved, she must of gone to check them." Jenny said.

"We shall just have to try again." Kori said.

* * *

_**Back to Rachel**_

"Rea!" Rachel thought she heard a loud whisper say. She removed her headphone the walkie talkie that had made a home oh her left hip.

"Rea!" it came again, "Rachel! Back here!"

She looked at the area where the props were kept and saw Gar half sticking out of it. "What?" she asked.

"My shirts missing." he said.(5)

She walked back to him, "What?"

"My shirt." he said, "I think you forgot it."

"No. I put it there on top of the little dresser thing in there."

"Where?" he asked, "Come on Rea, I gotta go on in five."

She huffed and walked in past him. Both turned about fifty different shades of red. She looked on and in front of the dresser. "What did you do with it?" she asked.

"I didn't touch it!" he protested.

"Then why isn't it here?" she asked.

"I don't know!" he said, "If I knew that then I'd know what to do about it!"

She looked behind the dresser. "There it is." she said as she bent over the dresser. His vision strayed to her rear. He was about to let out a low whistle when she stood up and turned around. He quickly tore his eyes away from her general area. "It fell behind." she said as she handed him the shirt, "Now hurry up. You got two minutes."

"Thanks, Rea." he said he took the shirt and she walked out.

On the other side of the back stage, Jenny smirked to herself.

* * *

Notes: 

1) I am evil! I am evil! Hehehe!

2) No offense to any males out there.

3) Red always was one of my favorite villains. I just had to have a little bit with him in it. It seemed to work here.

4) Hehe, more trouble from Red! But I think that will be the last time he shows. Maybe not, but probably so.

5) Ok, all you rabid Beast Boy/Gar fans, that was for you! ;) Do I take care of you or what?

So, you like or no?

Typically, you all say car-mel, with one both and one switch over to care-a-mel.

Today's words are:

Tomato:

Tomato or tomata (I am so going to have that song stuck in my head)

This word was brought to you by: (in order they gave it) Siren of Time and deadinside72.

Fog:

Fog or fahg

This word was brought to you by: Kool-Wolf.

and

Water:

Wa-ter or wer-ter

This word was brought to you by: Kool-Wolf.

I'm still taking words if anyone else has one or some. As of right now, I will have three in the next to chapters. If I get more words than three per chapter, I'll just add more.

Til next time! ;)


	20. Chapter 20

I do not own the Teen Titans or RENT. All words that are in **_bold and italicized print_** are from the subtitles of the DVD for RENT.

As I had originally planned on getting this up yesterday, I apologize for the lateness. I went to get the DVD, pop it in and watch it so I could write this, and I couldn't find it. After fifteen minutes of searching, I asked my mom if she knew where it was and she tells me that she loaned it to my aunt. So I didn't get it back until last night, so I didn't get to start writing this until about ten o'clock last night.

Um, this is NOT a song fic, or a song chapter. This is just a chapter that happens to have parts of songs in it. That is it. Please don't report me for abuse. Please!

Any-who, on with it!

* * *

It was now five thirty. Rachel was waiting in the rec room of the church, waiting for Jenny and Jericho to show up before heading to the theater. She idly leafed through the pages of her book. She had finished reading it, but didn't feel like getting up to get another. She looked at the cover, the hard board like material covered in cloth. It was a newer, less expensive book. She had read it enough to give it the "well read" look of discarded books at the library. She was just about to get up to get another when Jericho came in. "Hey" she said. He waved back in response. 

She fell back down on the couch where she was sitting. Aggie came in. "Feeling better?" Rachel asked her.

"Much, now that I can talk." Aggie responded.

A silence fell over the room. "So what's with Jenny and Kori keeping close tabs on you?" Aggie asked.

"Long story I really don't feel like getting into." Rachel said.

Jericho quickly wrote on his paper, "I thought we were done keeping secrets?"

"We are." Rachel said, "Major ones anyway."

Jericho just shrugged. "Where is Jenny anyway?" he wrote.

"She should be here." Rachel said, looking at the clock.

"She's always late." Aggie said.

"I am not always late!" Jenny said as she entered the rec room.

"Are too." Rachel said, "You'll be late at your own funeral."

Jenny gave a soft laugh, "I was even a late baby. I was due three weeks before I was born."

"Told ya." Aggie said.

"Let's just go before we're all late." Rachel said, standing up.

* * *

It was five after six when they got to the theater. Lindy told them off for being late, the whole five minutes that it was, then told them to get where they were needed and make sure everything was in order. The group waved their temporary goodbyes, then headed where they were needed. 

"Hey, Rachel." Gar said as she neared his cubby to make sure his costume was in order. "I'm already dressed and got my next costume in a safe place." he nodded with self pride.

"A safe place?" Rachel asked.

"I have a reason to suspect that my shirt did not simply fall off earlier." he said, frowning.

"What do you mean?" she asked, a chill settling in her stomach. Had Jenny and Kori done something to alert Gar of her feelings? It took all she was worth to suppress a shiver.

"Nothing." he said very quickly, "Uh, see you later?"

"We're still going out for pizza later, right?" she asked, "All of us, I mean."

"Yeah. All of us. Going for pizza." he responded.

"Then I'll see you then."

"Won't we see each other during the play?"

"Probably."

'Then I'll see you then."

"Ok." she said. Just then, Lindy called her over. "Bye." she said.

"Bye." he said.

Still a little worried about what made him think that his shirt was hidden, she went to see what Lindy wanted.

* * *

**Centered on Gar, a little earlier in the evening**

Gar met Dick and Kori at Dick's house. They had to be there earlier than Rachel, Vic, Jenny, Jericho and Aggie because they had to have voice warm ups and other such things for their voices. (1)

"So, Gar," Dick asked when they were waiting for Kori to show, "How did you think practice went?" An innocent enough question. He answered.

"Fine. You?" he responded.

"Fine. How's the new arrangement with the one costume at a time coming?" Dick asked.

"Good." Gar said, deciding not to divulge in the whole missing shirt incident.

It was Dick's next question that set Gar on his guard, "Anything come up missing?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"No reason. Just curious."

"Then it might interest you to know that something did indeed come up missing. A shirt."

"Really?" Dick asked

"Yes." Gar said, "And what do you know about it?"

"Nothing. Why would I? It's not like I had anything to do with it."

"Sure. You had nothing to do with it." Gar said sarcastically, "I ain't buying it."

"You never did tell me what Red said." Dick said, cool as a cucumber.

"Why do you want to know that?" Gar asked, his voice a little higher than normal.

"So he did say something." Dick said. Gar hit his forehead. "And I was wondering what he said because we think it's about you and Rachel."

"What?" Gar asked, sounding as high pitched as a six year old girl.

"So it was about you and Rachel?" Dick asked.

"What makes you think that?" Gar asked, his voice still at the high level it was a moment ago. Had Red told? Rachel was going to kill him.

"It is obvious." Kori said as she entered the room. "I apologize, I had not meant to drop the eves, but it was hard to not hear."

"It is not obvious!" Gar protested.

"Yes it is." Kori said.

"Is not!"

"Is too." Dick said, "And you've all but said it."

"I- but- um…" Gar sputtered, he was caught now. Still, he had to try. "Is not."

"She feels the same about you." Kori said.

Gar gave the same reaction as Rachel had earlier given, though he didn't know it. He gave a small grunt, then said, "I doubt it."

"Come on, Gar." Dick said, "I've noticed it. And that's sad."

"Rachel gave the same response when I told her you liked her."

"You told her?" Gar asked, his voice back to a high pitch.

"So you admit it?" Dick asked.

Gar looked like he was thinking, which he was. There really was no choice in the matter now, they knew. "Fine I admit it." he said, "I like her." he hung his head.

"There is no reason to look so down, Gar." Kori said, "Rachel has all but told me she feels the same for you." Kori figured the little white lie was safe, and in her best interests as she was wanting to live a little longer.

"Like I said," Gar said, "I doubt it."

"Just try it, Gar." Dick said, "You might be surprised. "

Gar shrugged it off for the time being. "You still haven't answered my question."

"And what would that be?" Dick asked as he stood up to head to the car.

"What did you have to do with my missing shirt?"

"Oh, I hid it once, but we think either Rachel or you found it. I honestly had nothing to do with it going missing the second time." Dick said.

"But you know who did." Gar probed.

"I might." Dick said, the faintest hint of a smile on his face.

"I will admit that, while it was not me, I know who did do it." Kori said.

Gar gave a groan at everyone and their grandmother getting involved in his life. His love life at that.

* * *

**Centered on Rachel**

The play was due to begin in five minutes. She quickly went around back stage to the hall way that led to the house. She looked out the doorway, that had no door, and scanned the people in the seats. She saw Gar's family in the front row, with Vic's father and grandparents in the next row. Kori had told her that they had been there since before she, Dick and Gar showed up. She saw Kori's uncle, sitting next to Bruce Wayne, Dick's adoptive father. She scanned a bit more and saw Jenny's and Jericho's mothers sitting with the family Aggie was staying with and Jenny's step-father sitting with Gar's dad and Azar, all three with video cameras on tripods in a sea of other parents with cameras. Azar saw her and waved. This motion caused Gar's and Jenny's dads to look over and wave too. She waved back, then headed to her post.

* * *

The main actors were on stage, the curtain down and the spotlights turning on. Lindy walked up behind Rachel and squeezed her shoulder. "This is it." Lindy whispered, taking a shuddering breath. 

The music started. Slowly the curtain rose to reveal the actors, but you still couldn't see them. Then slowly the rest of the stage lights came on and the actors were released from the dark. A few more notes played then the actors began their song:

_**"Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes,  
Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Moments so dear.  
Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes  
How do you measure, measure a year?"**_

And it started. Rachel was amazed how much a difference just knowing that people were out in the house made for her. She felt just that much more pressure to make sure that everyone was quiet and in place and that Jenny and Jericho made sure all the props were in order and Red got the right backdrop. She had a fleeting nightmare that she screwed up major. She shook it off as the curtain lowered at the end of the song. Once it was down, the actors left the stage. Rachel knew that on the sides of the stage, on the walls on either side of the stage, screens had been lowered and they were showing various scenes of Jump City on a gritty film. Gar was speaking into his mike as he got ready to ride a bike across stage.

"**_December 24th, 1989, 9 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. From here on in, I shoot with out a script. See if anything comes of it, instead of my old shit_.**"

Then you hear the voice of a man, actually the principal, saying, "_**No, get out of here. Hey. I said get off the window**."_

As he is saying this, drums started to play faster and faster. Then Gar walked out, holding his camera to his eye, bike at his side. Other instruments joined the drums to form the music for the song. Gar attached the camera to the bike, mounted it and takes off across the stage. As he reached the other side of the stage, he went down the ramp leading off stage and into the house. As he reached the bottom of the ramp he started to sing:

**_How do you document real life_**

**_When real life's getting more _**

**_Like fiction each day?_**

He went along the side of the house, across the middle and into the doorway with out the door that Rachel had stood at earlier. Meanwhile, the set for the apartments had been set up behind the still closed curtain. It was the street scene that would let you look into Mark's and Roger's and Mimi's apartments, the roof of the building and see the street and building from of the building across the street. Rachel marveled at how they had come up with that. They wouldn't of been able to do it if Alicia's dad hadn't done a lot of work on it and loaned them use of some of equipment from his painting business.

As soon as Gar disappeared into the door-less doorway, the curtain began to rise giving the audience a view of it all. Rachel moved out of Gar's way before he even came up the ramp they installed to allow him to simply ride over all the steps between that hallway and backstage. Gar rode past her, giving her a wink as he did so. She felt the familiar butterflies in her stomach. He rode onstage as he sang:

**_Headlines, bread lines_**

**_Blow my mind_**

**_And now this deadline_**

**_Eviction or pay_**

**_Rent!_**

He was across the stage and getting off as he sang the word Rent! The a spotlight showed Dick, or Roger, in their apartment playing a guitar while sitting on a table. He began to sing his part of the song:

**_How do you write a song _**

**_When the chords sound wrong?_**

**_Though they once sounded_**

**_Right and rare._**

The rest of the stage lights in that area went out. You saw Dick, and Kori in the apartment below look around.

**_When the notes are sour_**

**_Where is the power_**

**_You once had to ignite the air?_**

You heard Gar form off stage:

**_We're hungry and frozen_**

Then Dick was heard:

**_Some life we've chosen_**

Then Gar was seen entering the apartment and they both sang

**_How we gonna pay?_**

**_How we gonna pay?_**

**_How we gonna pay_**

**_Last year's rent?_**

It was at this point in time that Rachel had to stop watching the stage and make sure all the extras were in order. She got them placed where they were supposed to be and ushered them out onto the stage in time for the next round of **_How we gonna pay_**'s.

When watching the movie, Rachel had liked the idea of a bunch of people throwing flaming eviction notices down to the street below, but apparently it was too much of a safety issue for the people in charge, so everyone just threw balled up eviction notices. Even the candles lit on stage were battery operated. Darn. She got back to her spot in time to see:

**_How do you leave the past behind _**

**_When it keeps finding ways _**

**_To get to your heart?_**

**_It reached way down deep _**

**_And tears you inside out_**

**_Till you're torn apart_**

**_Rent_**

Rachel took a minute to reflect on this statement. How true it was. She was still a little cut off from the rest of the world because she had grown so used to being cut off, to cutting herself off. She was still afraid of the rejection that came with it.

She was pulled out of her musings when all the extras left the stage and headed down stairs. She barely watched the scene between Benny, Roger and Mark. She only really come back to earth when Gar came off stage and Dick and Kori started the "**_Light My Candle_**" scene. She still couldn't get over how un-Kori-like Kori could be. She was giving a performance that none could've guessed. Dick was doing good in his performance of Roger, but for Kori to go from sweet innocent Kori to Mimi, it was just short of amazing.

"They're pretty good, huh?" Red asked her.

"They're really good." Rachel whispered in response.

"Not as good as Gar, though, huh?" Red asked, a smirk in his voice.

"No." Rachel said, not really paying attention to what she was saying, most of it focused on the play in front of her, "Not quite."

Once she said that, however, she realized. "Well, uh, I mean, that is…"

"Its ok, Roth." Red said, "I'm not going to tell."

"Why?"

"You're friends aren't willing to pay the price."

"What?"

"Yeah. They asked about what I saw. I gave them a price, they weren't willing to pay it."

"And what would that price be?"

"I wanted a date."

"With Kori?"

"You're smarter than they were." Red chuckled, "At first Kori was all willing to 'play the cupid' for me."

* * *

Later that evening, Gar and Alicia were doing the "**_Tango: Maureen_**", Rachel was in overdrive. They started the tango, just Mark and Joanne. Then, when Mark fell and hit his head, the curtain dropped. Alicia and Gar, behind the curtain and out of sight to the audience, took their outer shirts off, showing that Alicia had the top for her more formal dress underneath and Gar had a white button up under his shirt. While Alicia put the skirt of her outfit on over her pants, then removed the pants with out showing anything and tried to quickly get her shoes on, Gar was running to his cubby to change his pants. 

The other dancers were dancing in front of the curtain while the props people were removing the performance space props. Then Gar and Alicia and Tara and another guy got onstage and started as the curtain rose. They danced and sang for the song. The curtain began to lower after Tara went back to her original partner and Gar and Tara began to dance together again. Only Tara and her two partners, one male and the other female, were in front of the curtain now. Alicia and Gar continued to sing while they quickly changed back into their previous costumes and the props people replaced the performance space set.

Gar retook his place on the floor in the middle of the floor and Alicia stood over him. "**_Mark. Mark! Oh, my god. Are you okay?_**" and the scene went on as it should. But then entire time Gar was dancing, Rachel couldn't help but marvel over how good he was. He was awesome! She found herself wanting to be the one playing Joanne just so she could dance with him like that. Then Tara danced with him and ice filled her stomach. The kind of ice that is so cold that it was like fire. She quickly busied herself in making sure Red could recite the next five backdrops in order, backwards and backwards every other one. Ok, so she didn't go that far, but she almost did.

* * *

It was right after the protest, they were headed into the **_Life Café_ **and were about to perform "**_Le Vie Bohéme_**". Gar had just walked in and was telling the others how he, or Mark really, had just sold footage of the riot to the eleven o'clock news. If earlier, when Gar and Tara were dancing, had set Rachel off, this part made her see red. Tara kissed Gar. Rachel knew that the script called for it, but that didn't mean she had to like it, especially when Tara took it further than the script called. They were moving the tables and Damien, or Benny, started talking. Tara, Maureen started talking, and then Benny got up, music started. 

**_You make fun_**

**_Yet I'm the one_**

**_Attempting to do some good_**

**_Or do you really want _**

**_A neighborhood_**

**_Where people piss_**

**_On your stoop every night?_**

Damien was walking around the table as he sang this.

**_Bohemia_**

**_Bohemia's a fallacy in your head_**

**_This is Calcutta_**

**_Bohemia is dead_**

He was back at the front of the table, Gar following him. Damien took him seat at his table and Gar stood at the front of his table. He began to sing:

**_Dearly beloved_**

**_We gather here _**

**_To say our goodbyes_**

He turned to face Benny and his father-in-law, and consequently the audience as Dick and Seymour stood up and chanted something in the middle of the table,

**_Here she lies_**

**_No on knew her worth_**

**_The late, great daughter_**

**_Of Mother Earth_**

Gar fell back on "**_Here she lies_**" and the people some what body surfed him back to the middle of the table. He raised his hands when he said "**_Mother Earth_**".

**_On these nights_**

**_When we celebrate the birth_**

He lowered his hands and brought them up to his chin. The audience was seeing all of this courtesy of the screens on the walls on either side of the stage. The others began to rock him on:

**_In that little town of Bethlehem_**

They lowered Gar, and he stood up, along with Tara on:

**_We raise out glass_**

**_You bet your ass_**

But instead of mooning the entire audience, Tara just pointed to her rear with both index fingers and shook it with the music.

**_To_**

**_La vie_**

**_Bohéme_**

Tara climbed off the table as the music picked up and everyone started to sing

**_La vie bohéme_**

**_La vie bohéme_**

**_La vie bohéme_**

**_La vie bohéme_**

On the last "**_La vie bohéme_**" Gar started his part of the song:

**_To days of inspiration_**

**_Playing hooky_**

**_Makin' something' out of nothin'_**

**_The need to express_**

**_To communicate_**

**_To going against the grain_**

**_Going insane_**

**_Going mad_**

**_To loving tension_**

**_No pension_**

**_To more than one dimension_**

**_To starving for attention_**

**_Hating convention, hating pretension_**

**_Not to mention, of course_**

**_Hating dear old Mom and Dad_**

Rachel didn't want to think about how many times Gar had watched the movie. It was like she was watching the Mark from the movie doing this. He had all the moves down pat. Gar had said that he was going to try to stay to the movie (as few of them had actually seen the play, none of them being him), but this left her in shock. He had every move.

**_To riding your bike midday_**

**_Past the three piece suits_**

**_To fruits_**

**_To no absolutes_**

**_To Absolut_**

**_To choice_**

**_To the Village Voice_**

**_To any passing fad_**

**_To being an us for once_**

**_Instead of a them_**

Gar jumped off the table while the while group sang:

**_La vie bohéme_**

Rachel was astounded by the performances. They were all spectacular! Wonderful! She was glad Azar was taping this. She wanted to see this from the front.

The rest of the song went by, the "**_I Should Tell You_**" song was done, they did the second part of "**_La Vie Bohéme_**" and a very out of breath cast come off stage for the intermission.

"You guys were awesome!' Rachel said, the closest thing to right out cheering in her voice she had ever had.

"Thanks!" they all said in between breaths.

Garth went out on stage and told the audience that they would be taking a ten minute break to allow them to stretch their legs, and use the facilities.

"Hey, Rachel." Gar asked, "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure, Gar," she said as she consulted her clipboard for the next backdrop and set of props to go out.

"In private?" he asked in a whisper.

She looked up from her clipboard to see a note of urgency and, nervousness, maybe, in his eyes. "Sure thing." she said, wondering what he needed to talk to her about, "How about you go change into your next costume while I take care of things here, then we can talk."

"Thanks." he said with a smile on his face. Then he took off to go change.

'What in the world?' Rachel wondered as she watched him take off towards his cubby. Right before he got in, he turned to face her, gave a small wave, then disappeared behind the curtain. She gave a small smile, then turned to Red to make sure he got the right backdrop down, then went to find Jericho and Jenny and make sure they had everything in order.

* * *

Notes: 

1) I am not a singer, at all. (I was once singing to a sing-a-long while babysitting some of my younger cousins, and one of them put his hand over my mouth and said "You no sing!") so I really have no idea what goes on in a situation like that, but I do know, from another cousin who does sing, that there are voice warm ups and stuff like that. I jut kinda figured that they would have to have some.

Wow, only one note! Hehe. But as I said earlier, everything that was **bold and italicized **was from the play. All words and lyrics were courtesy of the subtitles of the DVD. (My sister is still mad at me. I popped it in and I guess she thought I was going to watch it right out, but I kept pausing, rewinding, playing, pausing, skipping to the scene I wanted. She ended up yelling at me and storming out of the room. )

The rest of the play will be tomorrow, this was just getting a bit long.

Once again (again), I apologize for the lateness, but my aunt had the DVD.

Hoped you liked it!

Today's words are:

Contributed by Kool-Wolf, since Kool-Wolf just has soooooo many:

Caribbean: (Care-a-be-an) or (Ca-ribbean) (A/N: I heart Pirates of the Caribbean! I want to see the new one SOOOOO bad!)

Orange. (or-inj) or (arnj)

Egg. (eh-gg) or (ay-gg)

Pecan. (pe-con) or (pee-con)

And contributed by Ladyhood:

Route: (Root) or (R-out)

And contributed by Siren of Time:

Paris: (Pa-ris) and (Pa-ree)

Either: (ee-ther) and (I-ther)

Lemme know!


	21. Chapter 21

This chapter was a mess. I swear that I DO read over my stuff, but it is typically before I got online as it takes me forever (not that you can tell with all the errors that are still in there). But, even though I have pop-up blocker, I still get about fifty pop ups a minute and it makes trying to do this one my alread crappy computer ten times harder. That was the reason for the bazillion and a half times the chapter showed up. It has been fixed, I hope, and should only appear once. Thanks to all those who reviews and told me! (By the way, I DO read those, and love them and plan on eventually responding, but right now I honestly do not have the time. I am sorry and will make ammends when I can.) So, hopefully, I bring you the chapter as it was meant to be, plus this little side note, thingy.

* * *

I do not own the Teen Titans or RENT. Once again, the words that are **_italicized and bolded_** are from the movie and are courtesy of the sub-titles. Also, this is not a song fic or song chapter, just a chapter with a song in it. 

Please enjoy!

* * *

After Rachel made sure that the next backdrop was in order and all the extras where were they were supposed to be, she headed to Gar's cubby. He was waiting outside of it. "You wanted to talk to me?" she asked. 

"Uh, yeah." he said. In the dim light of the back stage she saw him turn a distinctly pink shade. He looked at his feet and shuffled them.

"Gar? We got," she looked at her watch, squinting in the almost nonexistent light, "three minutes. Let's get it out."

Gar gave a nervous chuckle and smile, "Heh. Um. I don't really know the best way to say this."

"Then just say it." she said, thinking of the time limit.

"Well, the thing is, is-" he paused, "Remember when I told you that I think someone was behind my shirt going missing?"

"Yes." she said.

"Well, I know that someone was behind it going missing. Dick and Kori told me, but they didn't tell me who."

"They did?" One name ran through her mind, Jenny.

"Yeah." Gar said, looking at her, but reaching to rub the back of his neck, "You see, they, they, uh-"

"They what?" she asked, half fearing the answer. Had the others told him that she likes him?

But he just looked back at his feet, suddenly very interested in a spot on the floor, playing at it with the toe of his right shoe.

"Thirty seconds, Gar."

He was still looking at his the spot on the floor. She was about to tell him to either say what he wanted to say or get going, but Garth beat her to it, "Gar! Get on stage!"

Gar looked at her, she was about to tell him to break a leg when he burst out with, "TheythinkwelikeeachotherandthetruthisthatIkindareallydolikeyou."

"What?" she asked, he had said it all in one breath and she hadn't caught a word of it.

He took a deep breath, "They think we like each other, and the truth is, I _do_ like you." he looked up into her eyes to see them blank.

"Gar! Five seconds!" Garth called out.

Gar looked torn between what to do. He bounced on his feet real quick, looked her in the eyes and took her by the shoulders, jarring her back into semi-reality and causing her to look him in the eyes. He pulled her towards him and laid a light kiss on her forehead, then took off for the stage.

* * *

"So is the cat out of the bag?" Red asked as Rachel took her spot next to him. 

"Shut up." she said, she was on cloud nine right now and didn't want him brining her down. He liked her. She wanted to sing! But that would scare people, so she refrained.

"You're smiling." Red snickered.

"That's a little scary." Jenny said as she came up to them, "What brought this on?"

But Rachel's smile was gone, "You!" she turned to Jenny with a finger in her face, the rest of her not far behind.

"Me." Jenny said.

"You made Gar's shirt fall behind the dresser!" she accused.

"Your point?" Jenny asked.

"You did that!" Rachel said, "Then you told him! Then you told him I like him!"

"Hold up!" Jenny said, "I did _not _tell him that."

"Like hell you didn't!" Rachel said. Ok, so she didn't really _say _it, but you get the picture.

"I swear it!" Jenny said, holding up her hands..

"I told him that you all but told me." Kori said into Rachel's ear. Rachel about jumped out of her skin.

"I oughta hurt you!" Rachel said.

"But you won't." Kori said, scary smirk once again in place.

"What makes you so sure of that?" Rachel murmured.

"You'd have to get through me." Dick said.

"Like that'd be hard." Rachel said under her breath.

"I was thinking something more along the lines of 'she was speaking the truth'." Jenny said.

Rachel just murmured inaudibly. She looked around. "Where is he anyway."

"He walked off the other side of the stage. I think he was afraid to see you." Dick said.

"When does he next go on stage?" Rachel asked.

"He is now on stage." Kori said, "The scene were Marks 'sells his soul', I believe."

"That'd be the one." Red said. The others just realized that they had been having this very personal, as Rachel would say, conversation in front of someone who would literally be willing to sell his soul for three grand a segment. Jenny stuck her tongue out at Red, grabbed Rachel by the shoulder and moved the group else where.

"So the question I have for you know is, what do you plan on doing?" Jenny asked.

"What do _I_ plan on dong?" Rachel asked, "_He's_ the one who started this!"

"He has made the first move." Kori said.

"The balls in your court now." Dick said.

"Eep!" Kori let out a small shriek, "We must be changing! We have the 'engagement party of Joanne and Maureen' next!"

"See you in a bit." Dick said as he hurriedly followed Kori down the stairs to their changing rooms.

"The questions still stands." Jenny said as Rachel walked back to the side of the stage to see the play.

**_"You ain't got nothing with out my protest." _**Tara, or Maureen was saying.

**_"Does everything have to be about you?"_** Alicia, or Joanne was saying. Rachel watched as Tara bumped into Gar to walk alongside Alicia. Rachel did have to hand It to Tara, she was a good actress. An evil thought as to that being the reason she was so able to date more than one person at a time for so long with out being caught raced across her mind.

**_"Me? You're the one helping my ex-boyfriend."_** Tara said.

**_"He needed a lawyer! I figured I could out, since you got them evicted." _**Alicia yelled. Rachel looked at Gar. She remembered how a week ago, Garth was yelling at him saying he looked too hurt over Maureen's leaving Mark, that Mark was still a little hurt, but that he had mostly gotten over it. Rachel also remembered Kori and Dick going up to Garth after and explaining the situation to him, Garth apologized, but told them to tell Gar to get with it. Now, however, Gar was right on target with the emotion on his face. He did look a little worried though. Gar looked over at her, blushed a bit, Rachel was glad the spotlights would drown that out, and looked back at the now proposing "Maureen and Joanne".

**_"Will you commit to me? To be with only me for the rest of our lives?" _**"Joanne" asked.

**_"I will. I do."_** "Maureen" relied.

**_"This can't be happening." _**"Mark" said. The audience gave a small chuckle.

* * *

"You know the next back drop?" Rachel quickly asked Red. 

"Yes." Red said, "Now quit worrying about me and go talk to him."

Rachel raised an eyebrow an eyebrow questioningly at Red. "My mom watches a lot of soaps." he explained, "But tell anyone and I will get even."

Rachel gave a small smirk and went to Gar's cubby. "Gar?" she asked. Gar poked his head out. Gave a small yelp and brought his head back in. "Gar, I need to talk to you."

"Look." he said, still inside his cubby, "I'm sorry about what I did earlier. I guess it was just jitters from the play and what Kori and Dick said and, and, I don't know. But I totally understand if you don't want to talk to me ever again."

"Gar." she cut him off, standing next to the curtain of his cubby, "If I didn't want to talk to you , I wouldn't be here right now. I'd be over by Red thinking of all the ways to castrate him while he ribbed me for what you did."

"So you want to yell at me?" he asked. He was still inside his cubby, bur he wasn't moving.

"No." she said, 'I didn't come here to yell at you."

"Then," he paused, "what did you come here for?" he stuck his head out of the cubby, wrapping the curtain around his neck.

Rachel took a deep breath. She looked up and looked him In the eyes. "This." she said as she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his lips. She pulled away to see his eyes the size of saucers. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks. He still didn't respond. "Well, she said, "I should go make sure everyone's where they need to bee-" but he had let go of the curtain, and pulled her to him, locking their lips in another kiss, more forceful, but with all the passion that they had pent up for the weeks or months since their realization.

When he finally let go of here, they realized half the props crew and cast were watching, then they realized that Gar still didn't have his shirt on. They both blushed a deep red and Rachel headed to her post as Gar went back into his cubby.

* * *

It was the funeral scene in the church. Rachel was quite please as to how it turned out. The backdrop was as true to her version as a projector had allowed (1). As Kori got up to do her little speech on Angel, Rachel looked at the set up that had been arranged. It was quite touching, really. When they had been finalizing the props and other things the week she came back, she had added another small prop, just a background prop that probably no one would realize. The picture of the woman who had had her service they day Rachel tried to commit suicide. Rachel wasn't sure how, but she felt it made a fitting tribute to Azar. A thank you. She knew that chances were Azar wouldn't see it, but Rachel knew it was there, and that was all that mattered. 

_Centered on Jenny_

Jenny saw the obvious, to any one who had been there, influence that Azar's church had had on Rachel. You looked at this set and almost felt as thought it was an on stage replica of the real thing. She thought about what it would have been like if Rachel had died that night, in a church so like the one before her. She thought of all the times they had had in the scant few weeks since that had taken place. One of her closest friends since Mikron and Manny. Not many people had been willing to give her a second chance after some of the stunts they had pulled. They cows on the top floor, them. The three month old meat in the back of the English teacher's room, them (2). But that was the more innocent stuff. Pouring anti-freeze on the principal's car, putting graffiti one the old, nigh irreplaceable, statue in front of City Hall of the founders, stealing the money from a number of fundraisers (3). All them. But she severed ties when things started to get a little heavy for her, when they had been approached by members of a gang. That was when Wally had first entered her life. He had believed in her. It was him that really made her leave. She hadn't realized that she could have any form of livable life with out the only two willing to be her friend. But he showed her that she could. She had refused to see him in any other light than that for the longest time. Two years almost. Then she realized that she just might like him like he had professed to like her. Three weeks later, they were dating.

But Rachel had been the first person she considered a friend after she left Mikron and Manny. The first person to consider her a friend. She didn't want to think about what she would of done had Rachel not waken up.

_Centered on Gar_

It was hard acting like he was sad about a friend's death. His own friend who had almost died had just kissed him. Rachel kissed him. He was glad his back was to the audience as he sat in the pew because a small smile formed on his face.

He did his best to rid himself of his smile as Kori's part came to a close, but found it hard. He still had the vestiges of a smile on his face as he walked up to give his bit. He ended up facing the casket a while longer than he was supposed to, but was finally able to rid himself of the smile at the sight of a small picture and program on a table in the background. The picture showed the face of a beautiful young lady. The program announced that she was dead. The date on the program was the date he had come to know as the day Rachel had almost died. Almost left his life for good.

He turned, his smile now gone, and gave his bit with renewed sadness. Say she hadn't woke up? Say Tommy had never been in that accident? Say she was still with her father, living in a veritable hell, while he plod along, supposedly being happy with a girl he thought had been the first love of his life?

At the end of his bit, he went to take his seat, thankful, in a morbid way, for that accident.

* * *

_Centered on Rachel_

They were on the scene where Mimi had just "come back from the dead" and her fever was breaking. Gar began to sing;

_**There is no future**_

_**There is no past.**_

Dick joined in:

_**Thank God this moment's**_

_**Not the last**_

The other's joined in:

_**There's only us.**_

_**There's only this.**_

_**Forget regret**_

_**Or life is yours to miss**_

_**No other road**_

_**No other way**_

_**No day but today**_

Here, they broke into a harmony as Gar went to turn on the projector that led out into the house. The screens from the side of the stage were once again used to show the footage Mark had caught. (4)

**_ - I can't control_**

_** - Will I lose my dignity?**_

_** - My destiny**_

_** - Will someone care?**_

_** - I trust my soul**_

_** - Will I wake tomorrow**_

_** -My only goal**_

**_ - This nightmare?_**

_** - Is just to be.**_

The screens projected different scene from the year of the "past year" of the characters' lives. Slowly the curtain fell as the cast walked forward to be in their spots from the beginning of the play in front of the curtain. The spot lights were there again. One shone on and empty spot where Angel had been.

**_ - With out you_**

_** - There's only now**_

_** -The hand gropes**_

_** - There's only here**_

_** - The ear hears**_

_** - Give in to love**_

**_ - The pulse beats_**

_** - Or live in fear**_

_** - Life goes on**_

_** - No other path**_

_** - But I'm gone**_

_** - No other way**_

While the cast already on stage were singing, Travis, who played Angel, walked on stage. As he passed Seymour, Collins, they squeezed hands, and Travis continued to his spot. When the curtain rose, it was to show the same empty stage that was shown at the beginning.

**_ - 'Cause I die without you_**

_** - No day but today**_

_** - I die without you**_

_** - No day but today**_

_** - I die without you**_

_** - No day but today**_

_** - I die without you**_

_** - No day but today**_

_** - I die without you**_

_** - No day but today**_

_** - I die without you**_

_** - No day but today**_

_**No day but today**_

The screens went crazy with a flurry of different shots from the film and the lights one stage faded leaving all in darkness. (5)

A wave of applause ran through the house as parents, friends, family, fellow students and people who just came to see the show stood up from their seats. The lights to the stage came back on to reveal a smiling cast. They took the customary bow. Then the stage rose to show the extras, Garth and Lindy. The cast motioned for those back stage to come forth and take a bow as well.

"They are foolin' themselves if they think I'm going out there." Red said to Rachel, who just shook her head in agreement. Rachel saw Jenny and her crew and a few others walk out on stage and heard a very boisterous Wally yell "Go, Jinx!" and saw Jenny turn three shades of pink.

Rachel started to get her stuff together for the performance tomorrow night. She felt someone pull her towards the stage. She turned to see Gar's hands on her arm. "Come on, Rachel. You have to take a bow."

"No I don't." she said.

"Yes you do." he said, "How else will the audience ever know you were here?"

"They won't." she said in a tone that clearly said that that was how she preferred it.

"Please." he pleaded.

"No." she answered, "I'm sorry, but no." He shook his head that he understood. "Now get back out there." But people were already coming off stage.

"Come, on, Gar!" Dick said, "Go change already!" Gar followed Dick to the back of the stage where they parted ways so Gar could go to his cubby and Dick downstairs. Rachel got back to her preparations for the next night.

* * *

Notes: 

1) I dunno about at your guys' (and gals' to be PC) schools, but at mine, a transparency of the backdrop was made and put on a projector where people would trace the lines that shone on the cloth, then finish it from there. That's how I pictured this to be done. Just so ya get it if your school does it differently.

2) Ok, for anyone who doesn't know, cows can go up steps, but not down. Thus the hilarity of the prank. This was done as a senior prank at a school not far from mine. How they got a cow in the school ( in real life or in the play) I don't know. Same goes for how they got the cows out.

3) Once again, for those who don't know, though I see less of you not knowing this as who didn't know the tings about the cows, anti-freeze will strip a car of it's paint and , if I have my paint removal substance correct, prevent the spot from being painted over with out the new paint chipping as well. Soda ( or pop), bologna and battery acid are also good substances for removing paint from cars. Not that I condone this.

4) Ok, this song was harmonized between the girls and boys. The girls' lines are the first ones on the left side and the boys' are the second, slightly lower in the right. This is because the girls' lines were shown higher than the boy's because they came first in the song. The slightly left and right is because in the subtitles, they were one right under the other, but also done frame by frame, I don't have frames, I just have space. I did it to help separate them and differentiate a bit. Hope I didn't confuse you too much.

5) This was a bit of a combination of both the original and alternate ending. Basically, I took the alternate ending and added the film from the original ending. (Well, I the original and alternate according to the DVD, anyway.)

Today's Words:

Soda vs. Pop. (I think this is typically a thing where it depends on where your from, but I'm just curious as to what you guys think).

Today's Words:

Soda vs. Pop. (I think this is typically a thing where it depends on where your from, but I'm just curious as to what you guys think).

Brought to you by: Kool-Wolf:

Frog:

Frog or Frahg

Roof:

Roof or Ruff

Stir

Stir or steer

Aunt:

Ant or Ahunt

Brought to you by: Sherbert Mayhem

Aluminum

The American/Canadian way: al-loo-min-um or the English way: al-oo-min-ee-um

Which brings to mind another America (and maybe Canadian, i dunno) vs English pronunciation: diagonally. (I was watching the 2nd Harry Potter (which I don't own, we rented it) and in it, Harry said "Diagonally" instead of Diagon Alley, but he pronounced it die-ah-gah-nelly, I think anyway, and here we pronounce it die-agon-ally. I dunno. The first made me think of the latter.

Well, lemme know! ;)


	22. Chapter 22

Don't own them.

* * *

They were at the pizza place celebrating a number of things. A successful opening night, a great performance, and the fact that they were still alive after messing with Rachel's life (1). They were laughing, even Rachel was smiling slightly.

"Come on, Rachel, you have to admit that I called it!" Jenny said.

"I'll admit it." Rachel said, thinking back to that day in school, "But you have to admit that it looked unlikely then too."

"Why?" Gar asked, they were sitting next to each other and he had his arm around her waist. She made sure it was under the table, even though the entire group knew they were dating, she still wasn't quite comfortable with the whole concept of "PDA" (2).

"We were fighting." Rachel said.

"About?" Gar asked, still not knowing just when to let something drop.

"You staying out of other people's business." Rachel said, trying to ease some of the tension that had built up. The other's instantly knew when she was talking about it and dropped it.

"Hey, you guys never did tell us what Red knew." Dick said, still slightly put off he didn't know.

"And we never will." Rachel said.

"Even though it is clear that it was about the two of you and you two are now doing the dating?" Kori asked.

"Yep.' Gar said, squeezing Rachel.

"I'll get it out of him." Jenny said.

"Dude, or dudette," Gar corrected himself, "I highly doubt that."

"And just how would you know?" Wally asked. Wally personally believed that Jenny could do anything. After all, she was Jenny.

"I know the price he set." Gar said, "And it ain't never gonna happen."

"He has a point." Dick said.

"And the tofu becomes the main course." Vic said. He, Dick and Kori laughed and Rachel gave an appreciative grin. Gar, on the other hand, didn't look pleased.

"What the- what is with you guys and calling me tofu?" he demanded. They had never explained the origin of "the tofu" and had only used it enough to anger him, but never have to explain it.

"Long story." Vic said, as always.

"One of these days, I'll turn it into a short story for you." Rachel assured him.

"Then what would be the fun in it?" Dick asked.

"She can't not tell him." Aggie said.

"She has not had the need to tell him previously." Kori said.

"Yeah, but she wasn't dating him then." Jenny said, "This makes him think, and we don't want him straining his brain. His pretty little head might implode."

"See how they treat me?" Gar demanded of Rachel, humor in his voice, "Are you gonna let them talk about me like that?"

"We'll plot in secret." Rachel said, the table going quiet, "We still need to get them back for playing match maker behind our backs." Gar smiled at his girlfriend while the other's paled.

"Or you could just thank us." Dick said.

"But what would be the fun in that?" Gar asked, smirk in place.

* * *

Line thing.

Notes:

1) They were also celebrating the fact that I finally got to writing this. I swear I hate writer's block. Especially when there's only one chapter left! It sucks, kinda like this ending, but at least this ending it here.

2) PDA. For those of you who do not know, though I imagine all of you do, PDA is Public Display of Affection. It is a big no-no in schools across the globe, and I personally wish that it was a bigger no-no in some public places, some people just get icky with it. shivers

Ok, so I'll be the first to say that that was a crappy ending. But, as I said in the notes, at least it's here. I swear that I stared at my computer screen for hours (four hours and thirty-five minutes to be exact) trying to think up what to write. I did get another idea as to what to write, though. smiles at idea It just mad me _so mad_ knowing that I only had the one chapter, the finish, the ending, and I couldn't think of anything. AGH!

I want to thank everyone who has read and especially everyone who reviewed. I love all the kind words you guys gave me! They made me feel all warm inside, like hot cocoa. So **_Thank you a bunch!_**

Oh, um, I responded to the reviews. I think I got all of them now. If you know of a chapter I haven't responded to, lemme know and I will respond to it! Thanks.

Last Words of the Day:

1) Car (brought to you by: Deadinside 72)

Car vs. Caar (the Bostonians say it)

2) Girl (brought to you by Siren of Time)

Gi-rl vs. Gr-l

3) Road (also brought to you by Siren of Time)

Row-edvs. ro-ed

Thanks to everyone who gave words, and those who told us what words they say!

Signing out, this had been Crystalwillow.


End file.
